Human Limitations, a DBZ AU fanfic
by Epic Yamcha
Summary: What if Raditz touched down in West City, instead of an empty field? An unlikely fighter has to face the odds and protect the city without Goku to back him up, wildly changing the destiny of the entire planet... and his own. This is his story.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Reviews greatly appreciated, criticism reviewed and appreciated. Will update weekly. (UPDATE: fixed some errors pointed out to me. Much obliged!)

**Human Limitations, Chapter One: **

The Earth spun silently on its axis, a blue marble tossed in a solar system untouched by indigenous life. Planets of beautiful rings, nebulous clouds lit by distant stars; nothing but ice and dust, and lit by flames that flickered out centuries ago. It's a cold dark empty void, lit by the stars of death.

"-Prepare for landing.-" A canned recording of a feminine voice prompted. The computer inside the small, spherical spacecraft chimed once; Although it was redundant, as Raditz barely slept during spaceflights like these. He could chalk it up to nerves, nightmares, or blood-thirsty anticipation, but he never could feel rested in the silent emptiness of space. He distracted himself with thoughts of the mission.

"Kakarot." he said to no one but himself. He grinded his teeth.

Out of what might another man might have termed compassion, Vegeta had finally granted his request to go to Earth; A risky move on his part, going right under Freeza's nose, but one that he felt would pay off. One additional soldier in their crusade was nothing. An additional Saiyan, on the other hand... that was a different story.

The earth was now in visual range. He whistled, seeing right clear through the ozone to the planet's sparkling oceans. In his opinion it looked better than most already. That reminded him of his first conquest.

"Not a bad planet. I certainly hope my little brother has been enjoying himself," He laughed.

"-Landing sequence engaged. Coordinates?"

"I don't care, the nearest point." Raditz regarded the machine offhand.

"-Trajectory confirmed.-"

The console beeped again, numerical signs flashing over the viewing portico. Raditz sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. This was the rough part, being towed in by the gravity. He reclined all the way and braced himself for the G-forces.

And waited. He counted down the seconds twice, and still nothing.

"Huh. Nothing," he blinked, tilting his head to look. Sure enough the outside of the pod was glowing from the friction of entering this foreign atmosphere, and all around was blue sky. Blue, not red.

The red skies would never leave his memory. But they would never exist again, either. How could something so powerful be so goddamn fragile? It didn't make sense and it never would. Raditz shook his long mane, willing away thoughts of planet Vegeta.

"-Please brace for impact-" the computer helpfully recited.

Silently thankful for the distraction, the Saiyan peered through the view-port and blinked in confusion. Below him and quickly rushing towards him were gridlocked transit overpasses crammed with vehicles, mile high concrete dwellings, and all the unmistakable marks of civilization. Raditz only had that moment to blink in surprise before the whole ship rattled around him as it plowed through all of it non-stop towards his destination.

"COMPUTER! HOW THE HELL IS THIS A SUITABLE LANDING PLACE?"

"-Coordinates were set for the nearest point. Please brace for-"

He slammed the computer console input in rage, sending little sparks flying.

"You just can't depend on machines..."

Fortunately for the ship's computer controls, it was designed with Saiyans in mind. Unfortunately for Raditz, they hadn't spared much time on the intelligence.

After a few seconds perforated by loud, high-pitched grinding, the pod cleared the obstructing buildings and the pod impacted heavily in the ground, clearing an area around it like a miniature crater. Raditz softly cursed. That was a landing he hoped never to repeat. If only his pod was built like Vegeta or Nappa's, that would be another thing, but he couldn't afford that kind of upgrade yet. As it were, his ships engines almost conked out trying to stay the course through a steel pylon.

Raditz cursed a little louder this time. He pried himself off the seat and reached for the door open switch. The pod split open with a distinct crack, slowly deactivating the airlock field.

After a second, the air pressure changed slightly, and the air felt warmer and quite a bit dustier due to the crater. Raditz braced himself against the metal frame and stepped out onto the makeshift platform his pod door had created, glancing around in surprise.

A crowd of indigenous people had gathered around. As though they had no fear of invaders.

"What the hell...!" Raditz muttered to himself. He quickly remembered and tapped the indent on his scouter. A rush of lights flashed across the green filtered lens, giving him a readout, and at the same time re-established connection with the others. The soft static hiss on the other side, followed by some background activity, was enough to tell him he was indeed being monitored.

"Looks to me like Kakarot failed..."

As expected, no response. The limited signal wouldn't reach that range for at least a year. He had other things to deal with. Suddenly, however, a harsh beep sounded, accompanied by a large power reading, and approximate coordinates. Raditz took all this in at once.

"The average power level of this species is point 5 or less. This one is coming up 246... and it's close... "

He thought quickly. There was no chance whatsoever that an earthling could have a power like that, regardless of mutations.

"Is that you, Kakarot? What the hell have you been doing on this planet?" he spat, imagining the little snot in front of him. How the hell do you fail to exterminate a race this weak?

As if to prove his own point, he formed a crackling energy blast in one hand and lobbed it with excessive force into a row of buildings, melting them down to hunks of slag and scattering the earthlings who got too close. Even the ones that appeared to be men shrieked and ran.

"Humph... Lambs for the slaughter." he said. Turning on his heel, he privately decided to leave this local population for later. Although, their extermination would have to be handled eventually.

He jumped off the shattered and crumbling pavement as gracefully as a cat and took to the sky. Raditz suddenly smirked, feeling a rush of confidence course through him at the speed and power output he could generate on this planet.

Taking on a burst of speed and he couldn't help but laugh out loud at the way it felt. He did a spiral mid-flight.

"I was right! The gravity here is next to nothing!" he laughed wildly, swooping low at mach speed. He tapped the indent on his scouter and zeroed in on the power level he thought to mark Kakarot's location, then stopped. To his surprise, though, now he was picking up more than the one.

"Hm. Interesting, this one is 310... and 215, clustered to the south ..." he mused aloud. As he did so, he locked the coordinated of the three most powerful, adjusting his flight path to the first.

"Power levels like that, on a little planet like this? Ah yes, I think I understand. Little Kakarot has competition. That might explain a thing or two... Which reminds me,"

Pausing in midair over the smoking city, Raditz carefully removed the device and held in in front of him like a camera, turned towards himself and pressing the perimeter detect switch. It reacted immediately, numbers flashing across the screen. When it finished, he carefully re-attached it and observed his own power. He scowled.

"A grand total of 995; As I feared. Crammed in a damn pod for a year without exercise and I lose strength." Raditz mused. "Not too bad, nothing a little exercise can't help."

"ATTENTION, HOSTILE INVADER!"Raditz looked down in mild amusement as a man in a war machine shouted up at him using a voice-augmentation device and had to raise and eyebrow.

"THIS IS THE MILITARY POLICE! YOU ARE IN VIOLATION! TURN YOURSELF IN! IF YOU CHOSE TO RESIST, WE ARE AUTHORIZED TO USE LETHAL FORCE!" The smaller man said.

Checking his scouter, getting the expected result. The Saiyan almost burst out in a fit of laughter. Who did this little man think he was? He readied the energy necessary to wipe them off the map, but then paused with his hand outstretched. No, reconsidered. He needed the work out.

Raditz sighed, easing off the power keeping him afloat until he reached ground level amidst a nervous group of indigenous military units. They were right to be nervous. The man in the machine, however, missed the glint in his eye.

"Halt! Stay right where you are!" the commander shouted down. Raditz ignored him, walking uninterrupted through the crowd. Several of the group made moves to grab him, but he kept walking and they were just dragged behind him. Hastily fired slugs ricochet off of his forehead, accomplishing nothing but tearing apart some bystanders. Seeing this, many of the men simply dropped their weapons.

Raditz smirked, picking up the pace. Several heavily armed men were clinging of of him and his armor, and now there was a general sense of panic coming from the General.

"What the- What are you doing! I thought I gave the order to use lethal force, didn't you hear-" he shouted, then yelped in alarm as the Saiyan suddenly leaped out of the mass of soldiers and landed on the front of the tank with a loud clang, clearing at least thirty feet in one bound.

"The problem seems to be our definitions of 'lethal' differ. This, commander..." he quipped, placing his right hand firmly around the man's helmet, and firing an explosive burst directly through his skull.

"... is how you administer lethal force." he finished with a smirk.

Tossing aside the dessicated body, the bloodthirsty Saiyan turned and prepared to shotgun volleys of small bolts indiscriminately into the crowd, killing soldier and civilian alike from on top of the tank. His next blast was intercepted suddenly, however, when a new combatant decided to step in and sent it right back at his face almost too fast for him to see. Raditz parried it at the last second, checking to make sure his scouter wasn't damaged. It was probably malfunctioning already, given that it hadn't alerted him.

"Who the hell are you?" Raditz growled, staring down his human challenger. He had scars on his face and had shaggy black hair he wore halfway down his back. He looked like a fighter, if a bit primitive to Raditz eyes. This was the owner of the power of 246 who had been in the area, apparently. They sized each-other up without words.

"Wait... could he be... Kakarot..?" Raditz muttered after a moment. The human looked perplexed.

"The name's Yamcha, if you really wanna know." He growled, taking a fighting pose.

Raditz frowned, shaking his head as if chastising himself.  
><em>Of course it's not the brat. What was I thinking? Just because his power-level is close...<br>Although I've never seen him yet, he should at least bear some resemblance to father._  
>Then he chuckled.<p>

The mere sound made the hair on Yamcha's neck bristle.

"So tell me. Where can I find a man called Kakarot?" he asked.

"Maybe I know, maybe I don't, but you don't get anything for free, scumbag." the human shot back. He cracked his knuckles, scowling dangerously under furrowed brows.

"Oh really...? Say again?" Raditz matched and outmatched his glare.

"I'm saying, you're scum. Get ready!"

"I'm scum, huh? You seriously intend to fight a Saiyan warrior with that pathetic level of power?" the Saiyan scoffed, like it was the dumbest thing he'd heard all day. Well, It was, considering he'd been in space for months.

"I'm pathetic, huh? I'm not the one picking a fight with defenseless innocents." Yamcha spat back. Saiyan? He thought. He had never heard that before He wondered briefly if it was some kind of space alien he was facing.

"You're out of your league, earthling."

Yamcha readied himself.  
><em>That tears it, he thought. Sci-fi movie dialog like that... He can't be human.<em>

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" The Saiyan taunted, mimicking the human's pose. For a few moments they stood mirrored like that, one powerful will trying to oppress the other.

Yamcha swallowed, feeling a lump in his throat threatening to cut off air. He knew he wasn't bluffing. He could feel the oppressive swell of his opponent's aura, unlike any opponent he'd faced. But, something inside him refused to yield. Because, while he could make a break for it and leave this to Goku...

...Backing down wouldn't save the people right in front of him.

He imagined the sweltering desert, the Tenkaichi Budokai, and Piccolo... Then his life in the city, with Bulma. Surely he hadn't gone so soft, he was scared? His thoughts ground to a halt.

The former bandit gritted his teeth, breathing in raggedly and quickly, almost like a chant.

"ROUGA FU FU KEN!" He roared, charging fast and low to attack.

Phasing out like a mirage, he startled the Saiyan with a roughly executed roundhouse kick, which just grazed him as he stepped back. The saiyan smirked in approval as he constantly stepped back from the savage attacks, first a kick, then a series of knife-hand strikes, and an attempted leg sweep which he simply floated above.

"Not bad! My turn!" He said cheerfully.

Raditz made a few quick jabs at him, forcing him to either dodge or block; He chose to parry.

The diverted strike rattled him even through the hasty block he executed, despite merely being a jab. Yamcha ducked the follow-up and tried to retaliate with a two-handed smash, which not only failed, but nearly injured him due to the armor his opponent was wearing.

"Like I said, out of your league." Raditz smirked.

'_Shit, looks like my Wolf Fang is out of commission_.' Yamcha swore inwardly. '_What now? This guy's power is overwhelming. Gotta have breathing room.'_

Yamcha stepped back, using all his speed and ground combat experience to dance just out of reach of the Saiyan's attacks; But his combat experience was no match for the tactics used against him, as the Saiyan phased out and reappeared just above him, raising an open hand charged with just enough energy to finish the fight. Yamcha tenaciously responded with his own blast at almost point blank range. Raditz forced his way through the blast with more of his power, but the blast suddenly gave way.

"What the..." Raditz puzzled for a moment over his opponent vanishing out from under his feet, before his beeping scouter alerted him.

Yamcha reappeared a short distance behind Raditz, charged and ready to fire off another energy attack.

"KamehameHA!" he chanted, letting loose a bright blue energy beam. Raditz was prepared, and moved to catch it. He was taken by surprise as the unanticipated power of it washed over him. This attack was more powerful than it looked, and it had staying power as well.

Raditz growled with effort, matching the wave's intensity and quickly overwhelming it with his own. Blue fire peeled off of him harmlessly as he waded a few steps against the flow of energy; his scouter told him it was fluctuating around 399, by far more than the lesser warrior should have been able to put out.

"You can concentrate your energy to make it more potent! That's a nice trick!" Raditz shouted over the roar. He placed both hands directly in front of himself, and arcs of electricity burst off of them as he poured out his energy.

"NOW LET ME SHOW YOU ONE OF MINE!" He let loose his own devastating attack, instantly blowing away the opposing energy. The blinding light lanced out uncontrolled, striking down more buildings and kicking up a lot of dust from the rubble.

He thought he faintly heard a scream as his blast decimated the general area of his opponent. By now people had abandoned their cars and were attempting to evacuate on foot, making little more progress that way due to overcrowding. The whole area was in chaos. That was more like what he was used to.

His scouter beeped out, informing him the power levels in the area were now minus one.

Smirking, Raditz took his sweet time making pot-shots at the fleeing masses. He secretly considered it his reward after so much downtime to mess around, rather than just raze the place instantly. After a short while, though, he tired.

Raditz panted, a little fatigued from the long trip through space, and took a moment to stretch, uncurling his sensitive tail from around his waist. The wiry appendage waggled behind him relishing the rare opportunity.

"It's a real shame. That one, whatshisname... Yam-kah? He had some fight in him at least." he smirked, despite himself. "Too bad for him..."

Raditz froze with a jolt, pain cutting him off mid sentence.

His vision blurred, the ground swaying dangerously towards him. He didn't feel the pain of his chin colliding with the rock, or even really the sensation of being shoved inches into the already compacted slag made from the asphalt turf. All he felt was the thing connected to his spine, all the way up his spine and through every nerve in his body. A muffled scream forced its way out of his body as he collapsed into unconsciousness.

"Gotcha, you son of a bitch."

Yamcha straddled the invader's back, left hand in a white knuckled grip around the squirming furry appendage, which finally twitched and ceased moving entirely. He let out a sigh of relief, but didn't dare loosen his grip. He shuddered bodily, feeling a wave of nausea sweep over him as the adrenaline of the fight wore off.

Now, he could feel it all.

His right arm was blown clean off by the last shot his opponent sent at him. Fortunately for his survival, the heat from the blast had also cauterized the wound for him, so he didn't have to worry about that now; But he had instinctively masked his Ki in the hopes of surviving somehow, which paid off now. His victory was somewhat dampened by his shame at trying to save himself, but he shook that thought. That's what dragon balls are for. They could forget all of this.

"It's over." he said to himself, trying to calm down.

Now what.

He couldn't fall unconscious, or else this monster would just get up again. And then everyone dies. Nor could he finish him off in this state. He'd sacrificed his right arm just to get to his weak spot. And he wasn't left handed. Hopefully he wouldn't die or something.

So until the others got word of what happened, it was up to him to sit on the space alien.

What unnerved him out of this whole damn situation was the reason he even thought of grabbing the tail. Memories of his friend and rival juxtaposed themselves in his mind now. This mysterious alien killer, who landed in West City. And Goku, who once had a tail, and had been subdued by this very move.

Come to think of it, this explained a lot. About Goku. And it also gave him something to think about while he waited for Bulma.


	2. Chapter 2

**Human Limitations, Chapter 2:**

Yamcha blinked, realizing he'd been on the verge of passing out. He glanced around. No sign of Bulma or Goku yet. The city was quiet now, aside from some commotion in the distance. Nothing like the living hell it'd been a moment ago. For that matter, he wasn't sure how long 'a moment ago' was'.

He glanced down, not liking the look of his right arm, or rather, the burnt stump left in its place. He doubted a senzu bean could heal that.

Shuddering in a sudden wind, he hunkered down and tried to warm himself with just Ki.

He decided to himself that this was the most insane thing he'd ever done. He was currently squatting over the unconscious body of a crazed, super-powered killer from outer space. Not to mention he was minus one arm. After a few seconds of searching, he realized it was probably vaporized, and furthermore, pointless.

What's more, the space invader had something in common with one of his best friends: a weak spot in the tail. He'd been put to sleep just by holding on to the tail for a few minutes; he seemed almost peaceful. At the very worst, if he stirred, he could easily be put down again. That was one hell of a weak spot, Yamcha thought.

Yamcha stared at the face underneath the enormous disheveled locks of black hair, so much like Goku's. Before, he'd had an intense look that contorted his whole face, but now he could get a better idea of his real features.

He took note that the Saiyan, as he'd called himself, bore a resemblance to Goku, now that he was asleep.

"Doesn't look psychotic when he's asleep." he muttered.

The wind picked up again, swirling around and kicking up little dust devils. Yamcha swallowed. He moved one hand over the saiyan's throat. His hand shook; he barely had any strength left as it was. If something went wrong it would just wake back up, most likely killing him easily in the ensuing struggle.

_If only I had a senzu bean, I wouldn't be in this fuckin' mess._

He snarled silently, raising his hand over the saiyan's throat like a deadly blade. He was mad enough to try it anyway!

"Wait! Step away from that body!" a grave voice sounded in the quiet,

Yamcha's eyes snapped up, darting around for the source, before his senses picked up on the presence situated right behind him. He spun, relinquishing his hold on the Saiyan and raising his only remaining hand to defend himself, but didn't have time to react as a gust of unnatural wind flattened him against the ground. He moaned as his wounded right side scraped against the rocks, drawing fresh blood. Yamcha winced, doing his best to apply pressure to the wound with just the one arm.

A long fluttering shadow cast over him, but he couldn't look directly at it's owner; there was a blinding light all around casting him into a stark silhouette, accompanied by a dull rumble like an aura of power.

"Who are you!" He shouted in alarm, staggering. "What do you want!"

"You seem frightened. Pardon my rudeness, young man. Allow me to introduce myself," he said with a polite bow. "I am Dr. Gero,"

The shadowed figure raised a hand. Just then there was a click and the rumbling cut out completely, along with the blinding light.

Yamcha blinked in confusion as he watched him step out of his sleek black air-car. This was just a frail looking old man in a fur cloak, not an enemy. Had he imagined the sinister aura from before? He suddenly felt ashamed.

What about that gust of wind that knocked him down? His eyes quickly latched onto the pale, gaunt looking man who appeared to be his chauffeur. He retracted one gloved hand back to the steering wheel, wisps of smoke or steam still curling out from it, and stared straight ahead.

Yamcha's brow creased. _ An energy attack? Who is he?_

"I apologize for that. My companion can be a bit overprotective at times." he said, mustache twitching up in a smile. "Please, allow me to treat your wounds in return."

Yamcha looked back to the old man. "You said you're a doctor?"

Gero nodded. "Although not currently practicing, I believe I have the requisite medical knowledge. I think it would be prudent to make haste; you seem to have lost a great deal of blood..."

"I can hold out for now. There's gotta be lots more people in danger nearby -" Yamcha said, glancing around.

"Nevertheless, you are the one who needs help now. Don't argue. You may be delirious, from expending so much life energy." he responded patiently. Yamcha paused, about to respond, but faltered, feeling his own exhaustion.

He didn't miss what the doctor said, however.

"You know about Ki? You're no ordinary doctor, are you?"

"All in due time, young man," the man called Dr. Gero said softly. "But let's not talk here; I have a facility just to the north of here, near Gingertown."

Yamcha thought quickly, remembering the unconscious invader behind him. "You seemed pretty intent on keeping me away from this guy a second ago. What was that?"

The doctor paused.

"If you are concerned for that man's injuries, no need to worry. He's not going anywhere for now. No matter how powerful he is, recovery will be slow. Trust me." the doctor said, although he did look back with some unease at the unmoving alien.

"To be honest, I don't know if I can trust someone like you."

"Someone like me...?" the doctor said; His eyes narrowed sharply at the blunt statement, examining him, and he seemed to pause just a little too long before answering.

"You have a choice," he said evenly, "Either to trust me, or stay here; More information will be forthcoming once I am sure I can trust you in return."

Yamcha frowned, trying to figure out the bad feeling he was getting. How much did he know? And for that matter, why did a doctor travel with a martial artist chauffeur? None of that mattered right then. He could feel that the doctor was telling the truth; judging just by the level of his own energy, he might be in real danger soon. He could save his own life now, and ask questions when it was convenient for the doctor. He had said he would explain later.

"Just do whatever you can for me, Doc." Yamcha said. The doctor looked relieved and smiled.

"I intend to do just that..." he said, snapping his fingers. "Mr. Novem, if you please?"

The distrustful looking Mr. Novem helped Yamcha lay across the rear seats of the Car, and even wrapped him in a warm blanket. Yamcha accepted it gratefully, even as something was nagging at the back of his mind.

Although he was skeptical, and more than a bit disoriented, Yamcha had to agree that there was probably nothing they could do against something with that much power. They quickly took to the skies. Yamcha couldn't help but look down at the wreckage that encompassed the entire district they'd been in. Before long, even that depressing view was covered by the clouds.

Meanwhile, below, a tiny robot completed it's task: collecting live tissue from an unconscious, but powerful host.

Goku looked down over the ruined city block; At least, what he could see through the thick, chocking fumes wafting through the piled wreckage. He sat down on his Kintoun; Had he not, he might have fallen off.

"This is terrible!" he turned his head, unable to watch emergency rescuers pull yet another charred corpse from the rubble of a building. He would have been helping them, could he not already sense that there were no survivors.

"Hey! Goku!" someone called. He looked towards the voice and saw Bulma waving at him from the window of a large yellow air-car. Master Roshi was at the wheel. She looked worried, and a little angry.

"Have you seen Yamcha?"

Goku looked back at her curiously. "What are you talking about? You don't know where he is?"

"That's what I just SAID, Goku! That jerk! He could be dead for all we know and he won't even remember his cell phone..." she snapped. Goku scratched his head.

"Aren't you supposed to keep tabs on him? He's not my boyfriend." he joked.

"Not funny, Goku! I'll have you know-" she started angrily, before cutting off. The emotion seemed to drain out of her face, leaving her blank except for the eyes.

"Bulma? Are you okay?" Goku said after a moment. She shook her head, hidden by her hands.

"We... we had an argument this morning," she said quietly; So quiet he wouldn't have heard it if he hadn't floated closer. Her voice was trembling.

"Bulma, that's not so bad. Chi-Chi yells at me for stupid stuff all the time..."

Bulma shook her head harder, her blue hairs whipping around. She had her face all scrunched up like she was about to cry or scream. Goku initially thought he'd said something wrong, because that would be about the moment Chi-Chi would chastise him for being rude. Bulma sniffled.

"You don't understand, Goku! I was so mad at him, I didn't even tell him where we were meeting! If he got caught in that explosion, then it's all my fault-"

And that was it. She hid her face behind her hands, even though her tears were painfully obvious. Goku wrapped a comforting arm around her, as best he could in mid-air. He didn't know what else to do. For all he knew, Yamcha really could be among the dead by now.

Goku stiffened, releasing Bulma and turning around.

"Goku?" Bulma called, wiping her eyes.

"I'm sensing a power nearby." he said, eyes darting back and forth over the city.

"C-could it be him? Yamcha?" she asked hopefully. Goku shook his head. His fists clenched and unclenched anxiously at his sides.

"I don't recognize it. This feels too powerful to be him." he said.

"I feel it now. There is a darkness in this power." Master Roshi added. "Goku, be on the alert! It might be Piccolo, come back for revenge!"

Goku nodded to his old master, and focused his energy on the foreign energy, trying to get a lock on it's location.

"I don't like to say I told you so, Goku, but..." Roshi said, trailing off.

"I know." Goku said solemnly. _If this was Piccolo, then I've made the biggest mistake of my life in letting him go. _He thought darkly. He killed King Piccolo once before. He might have to kill him again... today.

Goku pushed aside that thought and continued searching alone over the battlefield.

Piccolo froze in midair at the sensation of Goku's Ki sweep, dropping to the ground. He moved quickly, concealing himself behind a piece of rubble. He shivered as the charged particles shimmered invisibly in the air, trickling over his body along with everything else. He smirked in triumph as the energies passed over him without even a ripple.

Son Goku had completely overlooked him.

"You won't catch me unawares, Goku," he sneered cruelly, the motion causing his fangs to jut out. "...not now, not ever again. That's why I've been training for this day."

The day I get my revenge. He finished silently.

He wiped the expression of mirth from his face as he swept his dark eyes over the city and it's detritus. Distantly, he could hear the humans scrabbling about, most likely trying to recoup their losses or evacuate. He tuned out their idle chatter, focusing on the problematic situation right in front of him.

There, not thirty meters in front of him, was the dirty and tattered orange Gi bearing the symbol of his enemy; belonging to the human Yamcha, no less. And what was this Yamcha doing, here in the epicenter of the destruction? When he sensed their combat, he had merely assumed 'Goku'. The identity of the other combatant was of no concern; he was dead.

He had paused, unsure of his next move.

Piccolo snarled. He abandoned the idea that he could ever disregard_ anyone _who dared stand against him,_ especially _a member of that school; he had learned that lesson before he was even born. Ever since the day, 300 years ago, when his sire had been sealed away in a magicked pressure-jar by a human martial artist. The faint residual memory sickened him.

The lasting stain on his legacy was far worse. An old, dying man was the first to defeat the Demon Piccolo; The second, a child. It hadn't mattered that he'd taken special care to wipe out the infestation of martial artists, they just kept crawling out of the wood-work. The most recent successor to Mutaito had skills to rival his own, if lacking the guts finish him off.

The fool would barely live long enough to regret that mercy.

The demon's heir had spent five years in this state of self-hate. If brute force wouldn't work, Piccolo thought, then subterfuge and cleverly applied force would close the gap... even if he had to take him in his sleep.

"Tch." he snorted. He doubted it would come to that.

Once again he had to tear his thoughts away. He'd gone over these thoughts of revenge a thousand times already, yet the nagging insistence ticked in the back of his mind.

The human before him was weakened from his victory and a prime target. Killing him would do him no pleasure, but perhaps it would give his enemy pain. He cracked his knuckles, extending the fingers on his hands like hooked talons. A grin tore it's path jaggedly across his face at the thought of Son Goku in pain.

"Might as well get this over with." he said to himself, taking a step forward.

Just then the human leaped to his feet, Ki flaring. Piccolo started, pulling back into the shadows just as a gust of wind twisted his white cape around. He barely just saw the orange Gi and it's wearer vanish out of his line of sight.

What the hell? Did he sense me coming? How? he cursed inwardly, confirming his power was masked. It was. He peered through the remnants of a broken window, hearing voices. His eyes widened in surprise, however, when he happened to see his reflection in the shattered glass. Particularly, the red pin-pricks of light that followed his gaze.

Red like the demons of the netherworld.

Blood-thirst, he realized. He typically drew energy before combat by invoking his demon heritage. Shit. I can't believe I could overlook such a detail. Surprise may no longer be an option.

He forcibly calmed his anger with a long deep breath, and quickly his way around crumbling corners, claws at the ready. His eyes narrowed. The human was nowhere to be found. He probably went after Goku, Piccolo thought. He could no longer sense him. Instead, he was sensing something else.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

Piccolo spun in place towards the voice just in time to take a hard left to the jaw, sending him careening through a half-standing brick edifice. The falling debris momentarily created a cloud of obscuring dust, blocking his opponent from view. He righted himself in mid-air and scowled through the hole at a very angry man he'd never seen before.

Raditz returned the scowl, adding a twisted smirk of his own. "Feel like fighting me face to face? Good. I was getting tired of you skulking around."

"What?" Piccolo arched an eyebrow in confusion. Raditz unconsciously mimicked the gesture, equally confused by the response. He quickly recovered, clenching his jaw angrily.

"Don't try to play dumb, it's not cute," Raditz spat, pointing an accusing finger. "That was a dirty trick, yanking my tail without even saying hello! Too bad for you it won't happen again!"

Piccolo didn't have time to sort out the varied accusations the stranger was slinging his way before the stranger charged with lighting speed, ramming an elbow into his stomach. He had barely recoiled from the blow when another swift strike cracked the wall behind him. He turned to take the next blow on the shoulder, allowing himself to breathe in, and used the energy from that to land a hit; he made this one count.

Raditz reeled slightly, feeling a line of heat across the bridge of his nose, which he instinctively grabbed for, missing the knee rushing towards his abdomen. He felt the strike even through his armor, and he took a floating step back.

"Not bad, green man... not bad at all!" he hissed, wiping blood off of his face.

"Am I really?" Piccolo licked the blood off his fingers and chuckled, flexing the joints with a crack. " Oh, I think you'll find I'm very bad."

"Disgusting creature." Raditz said, wrinkling his nose. He flexed his neck to the side and back with a loud pop each time.

"I don't know who you think you are, green man, but it was a mistake to pick a fight with me." the saiyan said, quickly forgetting the cut in his growing excitement. He was mildly surprised to discover he hadn't felt this exited since facing another saiyan; the thought of other saiyans, however, was one that nearly killed his mood entirely.

"That's my line, you god damned freak" Piccolo snarled, allowing the unholy blood thirst to flow back into his eyes. Removing his cape, he rushed the larger fighter with a barrage of swift attacks. Unsurprisingly, the saiyan proved to be as quick as before in breaking his defenses and landing a hit to his jaw.

This time, however, Piccolo rolled with the heavy blow and got back to his feet fighting. Raditz took note of this and quickly got behind him, driving a knee into his back as hard as he could, forcing him to the ground again.

Grunting, Piccolo rolled out of the way of a stomp which sent cracks through the pavement. The saiyan stayed like that with his boot embedded in the ground long enough for Piccolo to notice something odd wrapped around his waist.

In less than a second he registered it for what it was: a tail! His eyes narrowed thoughtfully; he couldn't recall ever encountering another human with a tail, even into the darkest recesses of his memory. Did that mean this warrior had something to do with Son Goku? Come to think of it, he new next to nothing about the origins of his foe.

Piccolo blinked in surprise as Raditz seemed to blink out of existence before ramming an elbow into his back, sending him stumbling forward. Before he had even landed, the saiyan reappeared and kicked him sharply in the side, sending him rolling. This time, he found it difficult to even move.

Piccolo glanced up just in time to catch a glimpse of Raditz's boot as it clapped firmly over his neck. He choked, struggling to free himself and even clawing at the armored heel of the boot, but slowly found himself losing strength as black spots appeared on his vision.

"Well, I can't say it wasn't fun while it lasted." the saiyan sneered.

Suddenly the pressure released, leaving him gasping frantically for air.

"What the?" Raditz said, whirling as his scouter frantically beeped.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Piccolo pushed himself to his feet, taking the opportunity to get as far away as he could from the situation, cloaking his Ki so he couldn't be followed. He immediately recognized the Ki he sensed. For once, he didn't are about revenge, or his reputation. This new enemy was insanely strong, stronger even than Son Goku; and if he bore any loyalties to his nemesis, then his plans for revenge were as good as shot.

Piccolo cursed his apparent helplessness. At that moment he just wanted to live, and standing between a rock, a hard place, and Son Goku was not the way to do it.

The saiyan noticed too late that the namekian had taken the opportunity to flee.

"HEY! Where the hell do you think you're going? I'm not through with you!" he started after him, although he doubted it was worth the effort at this point.

Raditz was interrupted, as he had to react to a man dropping out of the sky into an easy crouch. Raditz jumped back, prepared for the worst. After a moment passed, he recognized the stranger and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Damn. He got away." the newcomer that couldn't be anyone but Kakarot said.

Goku cursed inwardly. _He's gotten much better at concealing his energy if he can even move at speeds like that without leaving a trace. This is not going to be easy. _

Raditz wiped a trickle of blood in shock, staring directly into the eyes of someone who couldn't possibly exist. The wildly spiked jet black hair that stuck out in all directions, the look in his eyes, his stance, all called back to a person who had been dead for over twenty years. But the doppelganger that fired on him wasn't paying attention to him anymore.

"... Kakarot? Is that you at last?" He said, smirking despite his exhaustion. He frowned when that got no answer from him.

Goku, meanwhile was staring in a state of horror at the shred of orange cloth on the ground. It was stained with blood, and had the turtle mark. It was part of Yamcha's gi. He couldn't even hear Raditz's next words over the rushing of blood in his ears as he bent picking up the scrap of bloodied cloth.

"Are you listening, Kakarot?" Raditz growled in irritation.

"What?" Goku looked up, seeing the armored, shaggy haired man towering over him.

Raditz stared back into the black eyes again and confirmed to himself that this was definitely his younger brother Kakarot. But, something in the eyes didn't spark at seeing him.

"You don't recognize me...?" Raditz muttered. He didn't know why he should feel surprised. The other shook his head, tucking the dirty piece of cloth into his own Gi.

"You were the one fighting Piccolo before I got here, right?" Goku said, although something was nagging in the back of his mind.

Raditz scowled at him as he got to his feet, watching him watch him with that wary, unfamiliar look. It felt strange, coming from someone he simply always considered family, but now that he thought of it he and Kakarot had only met once; much like the way he and his father had been.

A few seconds of silence passed. Raditz sighed, feeling acutely tired of all the bloody confrontations so far, and decided to just sit and talk for a while. He felt too emotionally drained to do anything else. Since he'd landed on Earth, he hadn't had a moment's rest or even time to eat. For such a small world, it was actually pretty hectic. He glanced at Kakarot, noticing a similar stress.

"You look pissed off." Raditz noted dryly.

Goku looked off into the distance. "Yeah, well, I lost a comrade today."

"I'm sorry. I know all too well that pain." Raditz said, before stopping in confusion.

Raditz raised an eyebrow at that. Comrade? He had comrades? Wasn't he sent here alone? He observed Kakarot, and noticed for the first time the absurd orange outfit he was wearing. The exact same design as the one on the human warrior... Oh.

"He was killed by Piccolo." Goku scowled, fists clenching.

Raditz coughed, clapping him on the back. He honestly regretted having had to kill that one.

"No need to grieve, brother! You've found a **new** comrade!" he said raucously.

"'Brother'?" Goku said, perplexed. "Is this one of those martial arts things I haven't learned yet?"

"No, you fool, listen. I've come to take you home."

"...That's okay, I have my own place. Uh, thanks for that, though." Goku laughed. Raditz paused again, unsure what exactly to make of that statement.

Raditz sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Completely dense, he thought. Must run in the damned family line, he thought, because he was having trouble thinking at the moment.  
>Goku shrugged off the gesture as yet another personal quirk he wouldn't understand, and his thoughts turned to the especially eccentric Bulma Briefs. He didn't relish the idea of breaking the news to her; on the other hand, the dragonballs could fix all of this. Finding Piccolo would have to wait.<p>

"Yes, that's what I'll tell her. All this can be fixed if we just get our hands on the dragon balls." he said aloud without realizing.

"Dragon balls?" Raditz asked, curiosity taking over.

"Yeah." Goku nodded, looking over. "If we just gather all seven again, we can fix everything Piccolo destroys, even bring back the people who were killed."

Radtiz's mouth watered. "These 'dragon balls' can do all that?" he muttered.

Goku glanced over. He remembered too late that Bulma had warned him once about handing out information about the dragon balls to strangers. But, for some reason, he felt like he could trust this man; almost as if he knew him somehow. Besides, Goku thought, he looked friendly enough.

"Yeah. There are seven magical orbs scattered over the whole earth, and if you find them, then you can have any wish." he said.

Raditz couldn't believe his ears. If something so divine really existed, he had to see it for himself. He could wish for _anything. _With power like that, Freeza was as good as theirs. He paused in thought, hand on his chin as he realized there was an equal chance it was nothing but superstition. It seemed less likely when hearing his own brother spout it off with such certainty.  
>Regardless of reliable sources, he was sure Vegeta would be pleased with a rare find like this.<p>

Raditz uncoiled his tail, catching his attention without realizing.

Goku gaped at it, watching it move. Raditz didn't notice.

"I suppose I should be asking why you haven't completed your mission after twenty odd years... But I'm more curious as to what- what the fuck are you doing to my tail?" Raditz glowered down at the younger Saiyan.

Goku glanced up from where he had been playing with the furry appendage and scratched the back of his head bashfully.

"Uh, sorry. I've just... never met anybody with a tail before. Why do you have a tail anyway? Who are you?" Goku asked, unable to hide his excitement. Although he didn't articulate it, he was dying to know. Despite traveling around the world as a child, he had never encountered another being with a tail like his until now. Despite meeting and talking to his dead grandfather twice, he hadn't had the presence of mind to ask why he'd been abandoned in the woods, or where.

Raditz momentarily paused in confusion. What the hell was going on? Kakarot was completely different from what he'd expected. He seemed deprived of any saiyan instinct. At the very least, he should have been supplied with a rudimentary course on saiyan culture when he was shipped out.

"What do you mean? It's Raditz, of course. Don't you... Don't you even know who you are?" Raditz said, regarding the unchanging blank look on his younger brother's face with a scowl.

"I'm sorry, I don't know. My grampa found me in the woods when I was a baby and raised me by himself... until he died, when I was still young."

Raditz felt an indescribable sadness.

All of a sudden, the strange behavior made sense. This really wasn't the little brother he'd left behind when he went to join Freeza's forces. He had no saiyan instinct because he was raised on the planet earth, as an earth-man. If that was the case... then this would not be pleasant. He swallowed, asking the question he had to.

"Kakarot. Did you ever suffer a serious injury to the head?"

At that moment, another tiny robot, this one built for surveillance, followed the homing beacon home.

Elsewhere in space, just under a light-year away, two soldiers at a makeshift war camp listened intently to a months-old scouter feed, discussing plans for a faraway planet.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!  
>Also, my spell-checker exploded. I had to review this manually. If anyone could reccomend me a new one for free, that would be perfect. If you spot any particularly reprehensible mistakes in here, feel free to let me know.<br>...Also, try new "Reviews!" , an appreciated part of a balanced breakfast! :D

**Human Limitations, Chapter 3:**

Raditz watched Kakarot curiously, making no pretense of avoiding his notice as Kakarot didn't seem to care who stared at him; once again, he realized this was not the way he had pictured him.

Although he could tell his little brother was a warrior by his build and confidence, he found himself second-guessing whether he was a _saiyan _warrior. He was too polite and friendly around strangers; Raditz shook his head at the thought of admitting his own brother was a stranger to him.  
>He <em>had<em> to recruit Kakarot to join their cause, the prince had made himself abundantly clear on that. But from a few minutes of talking to him, he learned he now went by another name.

"Goku?" Raditz blinked, scratching his ear.

"Yeah. That's the name my Grandpa gave me! I like it a lot," he said, and then smiled embarrasedly. "I don't know about, uh, Kaka-whatever."

"Ka-ka-rot. Your _real _name." Raditz repeated.

He shook his head as he mouthed the words. It just looked silly, trying to teach a grown Saiyan how to pronounce his name. _It's like leading around a child_, he groaned internally. At least he didn't talk so much.

The younger saiyan was quiet for a long time. He was really surprised when Raditz told him he'd come from outer space. He hadn't really believed him at first until he'd summoned his little round spaceship into the crumbling battlefield. He even showed him all the controls, which he attempted to fiddle with.

Raditz laid a hand on the mettallic spacecraft with a loud thump, startling and stopping him from randomly flipping switches.

"You should have arrived in a pod just like this one. It has all the information you would need to function in Saiyan society." Raditz explained, sounding annoyed. "... Since you apparently don't have that, you can just ask me any questions."

"Um... okay, I got one! What are the Saiyans like?" he asked, barely containing his curiousity..

"Like you and me, what's there to say? First of all, Saiyans are natural-born warriors, Kaka... er, Goku." he paused, fumbling over the earthling word. "We're all soldiers by trade. There's nothing we love more than the thrill of combat and competition!"

"Really, you like to fight? I've always been like that too!" the younger saiyan practically shouted.

"I thought you would," Raditz said, and smirked. _Maybe he won't be so difficult to convince,_ he thought.

"...I'm assuming you already know this one, but we Saiyans need to eat a lot more than other species.." Raditz continued. "That's part of the secret to our powerlevels. The other secret is how long we stay in our prime."

Goku nodded, with a happy expression and some amount of drool. _Definitely a Saiyan reaction to the mention of food,_ Raditz chuckled to himself.  
>"Traditionally, after a long day we would gather around a bonfire and regale each-other with tales of the battle and roast meat; consisting of whatever we could catch and as much as we could carry of it."<p>

"Whoa, that sounds awesome! But, you make it sound like you fight all day long! Doesn't that get tiring after a while?" he said, wiping a trickle of saliva with his arm.

Raditz made a scoffing noise.  
>"As if. Fighting is the only break I get from travel. I take my time and enjoy assignments."<p>

The younger saiyan scratched his head. He didn't quite understand the part about assignments, but he figured outer space must be a long way away from earth.

"Huh. You really travel around all that much? Is that part of being a Saiyan too?"

"As I said before, we are soldiers. In order to support ourselves, and in order to find new opponents, we travel from planet to planet as mercenaries for hire."

"What's a mercenary?"

"Think of it as an elite soldier who fights for money." Raditz said, clenching his fist in irritation. "We offer our support in exchange for interstellar currency and supplies. We use the supplies to make it to the next planet or system of planets and start from scratch with a profit."

"Whoa. Have you always lived like that?"

"No, but trust me, it's better than the other option."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Raditz spat onto the ground. "I might as well tell you," he said, leaning heavily on the space pod while Goku watched.

"For a long time before that we were working on a contract for this guy Freeza, and he was sort of a... what would you call it... a planet-broker, or a baron. He ruled over one third of the largest interstellar Empire with profits from his planetary estate sales; that means he takes over valuable planets and sells them to the highest bidder."

Raditz glanced over to see the horrified look on his little brother's face.

"What happened to the people?"

"In exchange, we were offered protection from his planet-brokering and -"

"That's not what I meant!" Goku interrupted, voice shaking. "What happened to the planets he took over?"

Raditz snorted, drawing his thumb across his throat in a gesture like slitting a throat. Goku made a small choking noise.

"That's right. And most of the time they couldn't even fight back."

"That's horrible!" Goku said, shuddering. "And you... you participated in this?"

"It was that or die, Kakarot. Not just you, either. You learn to like the hunt, after a few times." Raditz smirked darkly.

Goku paused, thinking to himself that his eyes looked like they'd seen hell. Eyes that looked empty and brooding, completely at odds with the impression he'd gotten from talking to him earlier. But the thing was, he wasn't sure what he'd do if he were in the same situation. If someone threatened his life, or his families, what would he do? Try to fight back, of course, but... supposing he wasn't strong enough to win...

He stopped that rain of thought, not liking at all where it was going.

"How powerful is this Freeza guy?" Goku muttered.

"Too powerful, little brother. Trust me. My power level is about 1,400, tops," Raditz said, aware that that was a blatant lie at this point. "... For reference, the Prince of our race rates about 12,000."

Goku scratched his head. "Jeez, that really sounds like a lot. But, how do you get those numbers?"

Raditz tapped the mechanical device affixed to his left ear. "This handy little tool measures my opponent's fighting power, notes their location, and even acts as a communication device. We call it a scouter. Neat, eh?"

"Huh? You need a machine to tell you how strong someone is?" Goku scratched his head. Somehow he'd just assumed that if you got that strong, you could just tell. That's how it worked for him.

Raditz scrunched up his nose. "What kind of question is that? You can't underestimate your opponent based on their looks, fool!"

Goku rubbed the back of his head and smiled bashfully.

"And besides, your power level is only around 322, so you should ESPESCIALLY know this." Raditz finished, acknowledging the younger saiyans show of humility with a somewhat softer tone.

"Then that thingy told you Freeza was too strong?" Goku asked quietly.

Raditz sighed. "That's an oversimplification, but yeah. Our information puts his power-level at 250,000.

"I can't count that high." Goku said, frowning in concentration.

"That's the entire point. If he ever got serious, he could wipe us all out by himself."

"Seriously? He must be a real monster!"

_You don't even know the half of it, little brother,_ Raditz thought bitterly.

"So anyways, our Prince, Vegeta, got sick of taking orders from Freeza one day." Raditz continued. "And ever since then, we've been rebelling right under his nose without him having a clue."

"How the heck do you manage that?" Goku asked, leaning over the other side of the pod to stare him in the face, a gesture that looked disturbingly cute for a saiyan. Raditz shook his head.

"Simple. We don't tell him." he said.

"Huh?" Goku slipped on the surface of the pod. "How does that work?"

"Normally, whenever one of us leaves a spaceport, the record shows that Vegeta, Nappa, and I are all leaving the checkpoint together. But recently, the Prince had our pods modified to not send a tracking signal while a switch is off. That way we're free to move about as we please, and as long as at least one of us goes to the programmed destination, Freeza has absolutely no idea of our insubordinations."

"I get it! So you can buy time before the real fight! That's really smart!" Goku nodded derteminedly.

"Prince Vegeta is a tactical genious, its true." Raditz nodded back. Inwardly, he wondered if it was right to be so optimistic about their chances, but he shrugged it off.

"Anyway, that's the exact reason I came here, to this backwater little planet. I had to find you." he finished.

"You want me? What's so special about me?" Goku scratched his head, looking lost again. Raditz winced. This was the part he really didn't want to have to explain.

"The thing is, our species has a pretty damn low birth-rate compared to some others. We were never all that many to begin with. The highest our population ever got was the tens of thousands, and that was during war-times, when birth-rates are higher anyway."

"So you don't have many people? Whys that?"

"I don't know, Kakarot. Does it matter? The thing is, there are just a handful of us left overall, maybe as many as five or six, but we can't be sure . All the rest died."

Goku stumbled back in shock.

"W-what, they all died? How? What do you mean, you can't be sure? But how could something like that happen, I, I thought you said they were super-strong?"

"Yeah, well... You can't fight a meteor, Kakarot." the shaggy haired saiyan sighed. "Our entire planet was destroyed. The only ones who survived were the ones offworld on missions, and there are no surviving records from Planet Vegeta."

He didn't say anything after that, and Goku stood there, watching him and thinking over all the things he'd learned just today that he'd never dreamed of. He had an older brother, the first real familiy he'd ever found. Some of it frightened him, but at the same time, some of it really exited him. The idea that there was someone out there really strong was kinda both of those.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by a loud gurgle. Raditz raised an eybrow as the younger Saiyan clutched his stomach, laughing embarrasedly.

"Hungry?" Raditz smirked.

"Heheh, I didn't eat breakfast before I came." he blushed.

"That would have ended badly if you ran into your enemy." Raditz scoffed, shaking his head and trying not to laugh at his ashamed reaction. "You third-class. I'll be right back, Kakarot."

Saying that, raditz turned and strode away, quickly picking up off the ground and coming to a hover in the air. The younger brother followed him briefly, tugging on his long hair until he turned around angrily.

"What is it now!" he barked sharply.

"I, I just wanted to talk a little more, thats all. Where are you going?"

"To get food! I'll only take five minutes, so hang around, alright?"

Goku watched as Radtiz flew away, staring at the sky for a while before getting bored and kicking around rocks. It was then that he remembered what Bulma had told him, to bring along her wireless headset and call her if he found Yamcha, or what happened to him.

He dug around the front of his loose shirtfront and found Bulma's phone headset around something soft. He pulled it out. It was the rag-sized scrap of cloth he'd found, with the Kame-house symbol, and stained with blood. The only person it could have belonged to was Yamcha, who was murdered by Piccolo.

Goku felt another wave of sadness as he untangled this last bit of Yamcha from around Bulma's wireless headset and tried to decide how he was going to tell her the bad news.

He once heard from Kami that those who were killed by the Demon King Piccolo wander in Limbo forever.

Yamcha slept restlessly.

After a period of time that could have been hours, or only a few seconds, Yamcha was woken from his rest by the sound of the engine, which had been constantly in his ears, changing pitch to an ominous rumble. He groaned, taking a moment just to remember what he was doing there.

He woke up in total darkness, cold shivers going up and down his spine at the same time as a nauseous wave swept over him. He tried to prop himself up on his elbow, getting a nasty surprise when he tumbled off the cold surface, landing roughly on something hard.

He coughed, clutching his ribs and gasping. Fortunately the sensitivity in that side was begining to dull.

A rusted metal clack signalled the opening of several shaded headlamps, illuminating a row of dim reddish orange ovals in the otherwise pitch black hall. He glanced around frantically, shielding his eyes. From what little he could make out the building looked like an old airplane hangar.  
>Not sensing any presence nearby, he sat up cautiously. He had previously been laid out cold on some kind of surgical table, with unbuckled restraining straps hanging off the sides; he felt the skin on his body was slightly bruised where they had been. Whatever procedure that Dr. Gero had done, he'd done a thorough job. His wounds had been cleaned and bandaged, and the tattered martial arts cloth he'd been wearing was nowhere to be found. Instead, he was wearing only a pair of grey cotton slacks and no shoes. His upper body was naked exept for...<p>

Yamcha blinked several times in shock, his tired brain just now processing what was right in front of him.

Except for thick metallic brace extending from his right shoulder to his clavicle, secured by a bolt. The skin around it was mostly consumed by pink scar tissue. His eyes followed it to the shoulder, which was also covered with the same type of metal casing molded into the shape of the muscle over the stump, which was also zigzagged with new scarring. And just a little further down, it connected to...

"Whoah." he muttered, eyes wide as he examined his new right arm. That explained what he'd landed on, at least.

Yamcha lightly laid a hand on it. It felt like dead weight at first, but to his surprise, it moved with a thought like his real arm. It was incredibly complex, almost organic in appearance save for the metal plates over the forearm and shoulder. The scarred skin seemed to pull tightly around it, as if actively transitioning between flesh and metal attachement. The fingers, articulated and minutely molded, moved smoothly. He made a fist and listened to it clank like steel against steel.

"The doctor's handiwork is magnificent, no?" came an unfamiliar voice.

Yamcha started, looking up from the floor. The gaunt man in black, Mr. Novem was addressing him with a slight smirk on his face.

"Can you stand?" he asked.

Yamcha tested himself, pulling himself to his feet with the table as a brace. All the while the other man kept a respectful distance away, as if knowing his very presence was unsettling. Yamcha took the statement as an order rather than a question by the way he said it, and pulled himself together.  
>He found he had some difficulty balancing with the added weight, but he managed.<p>

"Very well. The doctor is waiting. Follow me," Novem said flatly. Yamcha glanced over. The man had resumed his usual stoic expression as he turned and seemed to fade away with his footsteps. His pure black suit made him blend into the shadows perfectly; this was the kind of man who might dissapear when nobody was looking at him.

He glanced down at the metal limb hanging off his shoulder like it belonged there and vaguely wondered how long he'd have to have been out of it for this scar to heal **around** it.

He felt a rising panic as he realized he still didn't know where Bulma was, or even if she'd survived the invasion.

_My God, the invasion_. He thought, horrified memories flooding back. He had no idea what was going on in this world anymore. The man in black turned to look at him stoicly.

Yamcha took an unsteady step after him, following the faintly illuminated path across the tiled floor. His slapping footsteps echoed loudly, but as he progressed the sound was muffled by a deep humming. Several of the lamps over head flickered, dimming substantially.

As he drew closer, his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and he could faintly make out an assortment of large, old-fasioned computers lining the walls; the kind with data tapes instead of circuitboards. Whatever this facility was, it hadn't been in use for decades, or at least prior to the technological boom and capsule miniturization.

"Over here." came a voice he rocognized. As he looked over, he noticed Gero standing at a work-bench lit by an old fashioned kerosene lamp. When he saw him, the man appeared to smile; The emotion looked twisted, whether by a trick of the lighting or actual twistedness was hard to tell. He sat there with his arms crossed over his chest, half shrouded in darkness.

"Have a nice rest? I will admit, you had me worried; But it looks like I underestimated just what _youth_ can do," the doctor said, a touch of levity in his grave voice. He was no longer wearing the cloak from before, instead a simple shirt, vest and slacks with an old pair of high laced spats. He looked more like an old gent than a mad scientist.

On the other hand, he thought, he just woke up in a warehouse with a robot arm because he went along with a complete stranger who scared the shit out of him; and he felt more like a frankenstein's monster than a patient.

From what he heard that seemed to be typical hospital experience.

"You are unusually reticient, Yamcha. Very well then, on to buisiness." he said thoughtfully, unfolding his arms and turning fully into the light.

"How did you know my..."

Yamcha froze. His mouth dropped open as something clicked in his mind as his eye caught the red badge on his chest, with a very familiar emblem. Two red triangles facing each other, with two identical white roman letters; **R. R.**

"Red Ribbon Army..." he growled, almost unconsciously. "How the hell are your kind even still around!"

Gero paused, looking him dead in the eye. His expression was blank, but his bristling eyebrows were drawn low over his stare by the angle.

"Don't make any hasty moves, boy. My 'kind' are more tenacious than you could possibly imagine... and I am not alone," he said warningly, sending a nod over his shoulder.

Yamcha's eyes darted over to where he had indicated, almost missing him in the shadows direcly to the right of the elderly red ribbon scientist. Novem stared icily back. daring him to try any kind of attack.

"I don't understand. What are you up to?" he said, keeping a reasonable distance. "Did you save me so I'd be in your debt, or something screwed up like that?"

"Don't be absurd. Why wouldn't I help a fallen soldier?" Gero sighed, shaking his head; his mane of white hair followed. "Consider it my duty as a human being..."

"Oh yeah, I'm _sure_ you're a _real_ humanitarian. Donates to the _RED_ Cross all the time, I hear." Yamcha spat sarcastically.

"I do what I can." Dr. Gero responded coldly.

"You don't fool anyone! Do you realize how many murders you could be held personally responsible for just by being **associated** with something like the Red Ribbon Army?"

"More than assosiated, ignorant wretch. I AM the Red Ribbon."

The casually uttered admission hung in the air, seeming to suck the light out of everything; the doctor included. He slumped forward, as if exhausted.

"I was there from the start, I admit it... and I'm all that's left. But that is not what is important! This- this here **is irreplaceable**-"

Gero got to his feet as he spoke, reaching for a silver-pommeled cane as he did so. He gestured outside the circle of rust-coloured light; everything was black exept for the flashing lights of the computers.

"-**This** is for the future!" he finished emphatically, clenching a fist.

"Future-? What do you-" he started, only to be interrupted. The doctor pointed a worn finger at one machine in particular, a large cylindrical box with a glass dome containing mechanized arms and flashing tubes. Unlike the others, it seemed continuously active. This was the source of the constant deep humming.

"All of these databases equal the notations I've compiled over fifteen years through careful, patient observation of Son Goku and everyone he knew. Do you know what these are, Yamcha? This was to be my revenge, my revenge against Son Goku for destroying my Red Ribbon."

"What?" Yamcha stumbled back. He couldn't believe the lengths people would go to for revenge. _How could anyone go so far to try and hurt Goku?_ Yamcha thought as he turned, shaking his head.

"Why the hell should I listen to this tripe?" he said loudly. "I don't give a rat's ass about why you want revenge on Goku, because it** isn't **going to happen, old man."

"Indeed, it isn't going to happen. Revenge is no longer a luxury I, as a _human,_ can indulge." he said gravely. The doctor turned away from him, hands wringing behind his back.

Yamcha blinked in uncomprehension. Something had just changed in the old man before his eyes that he couldn't explain; he suddenly understood, however, when he saw clearly the weary lines tracing down his wrinkled, skull-like face.

"Er, well, thats right. Revenge is wrong. It's good that you have some sense in you at least." Yamcha responded slowly, rubbing his neck.

Gero sneered. His voice betrayed nothing even when his face did.

"No, there is no petty revenge to be had. Not when the object of my revenge escelates the battle into a war against all human-kind."

"What the hell are you trying to say?" Yamcha snapped back scowling.

Instead of answering, the old man snapped his fingers, signalling a bright flash of light. Yamcha stumbled back again, blinking furiously at the spots in his eyes. Suddenly, he was looking at a silent projection on the wall.

"Take a look for yourself."

He blinked, rubbing his eyes in confusion. It was shaky, silent footage Goku talking to someone,.

The footage was taken from an odd camera angle. In his hand was clutched a bloody scrap that Yamcha quickly identified as belonging to his Kame-house Gi. He watched hims stuff the bloodied rag into his own shirt-front and turn to talk to a tall man with long black hair down his back, dressed strangely in a suit of molded body-armor. The two acted familiarly, even playfully at times, that disturbed him. The footage progressed slowly, with the other man evetually calling his round space-craft over before the recording finally turned to static.

"Your eyes don't lie." Gero said coldly, still keeping his back to him. "But apparently your 'friends' do."

"N-no. That's not possible, old man." Yamcha asserted, shaking his head. "Goku would never use his power for anything like that. No way in hell." Yamcha said aloud, though meaning it more towards reassuring himself.

"If that's what you wish to believe, then you can just go home now and** wait **to die. And die you shall, naiive cretin." Gero spat, turning back to his desk. Or more literally, back to the drawing board.

There was a long pause, maybe five minutes long where absolutely nothing happened and no one moved but Gero, furiously scribbling notations and diagrams, muttering curses now and then. Neither he nor Novem made a single move to remove him from the building, though Novem continued to glare at him. It seemed like they expected him to simply find his own way out.

"Supposing I did believe you," Yamcha said suddenly, though not turning to face him. He could see out of the corner of his eye that he had the doctor's attention. He had turned in his seat to stare at him as well.

"And supposing Goku did turn evil," he continued. "What the hell would you expect me to do?"

"Join me; Protect this world from invaders." he said without hesitation.

"And once it's all over?" Yamcha said quietly, though his tone was dangerous. "You'll just go back to your schemes, won't you?"

"Once this is over, I'll just go back to living as a recluse. I give you my word, the invader's deaths will satisfy me. I promise, " Gero said darkly, a glint in his eyes.

_Somehow, I seriously that,_ Yamcha thought. But still... If Goku really was an alien invader, what did that mean for everything they'd been through? Was it all a lie?

It didn't seem possible. After all, he'd saved the world plenty of times.

Yamcha thought it over for several long minutes, gazing into the now looping projection of Goku. There was Goku, palling around with the guy who shot another man through the head with his Ki, blew up a whole city block and personally tore off his arm; And Goku wasn't fighting him at all.

"This is really ironic, y'know?" he said sadly. "I might be teaming up with the worst ally in the world I could possibly choose, to fight against the best friend I could ever have."

"You won't regret this, I promise." the doctor said, a relieved tone in his voice. "Now go. I'll contact you again when I'm ready. As you might have guessed, you've been out for quite a while. I'm sure you have loved ones waiting anxiously for you."

"Shit, that's right! Oh man, I bet Bulma's worried sick over me!" Yamcha realized, suddenly extremely motivated.

"Be careful." Gero said.

Yamcha nodded to the doctor with some hesitation as he turned to leave quickly, wondering just what the hell he might be in for. He just hoped he was making the right choice.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry this took so long! And sorry I haven't responded to everyone, I won't bore you with the details of my life, now on to the story.

**Human Limitations, Chapter 4:**

The sky was grey and a cold mist started to rain down as Yamcha made his way on foot back to West City. The distance was not far, but he didn't have the stamina to fly it; he wasn't as skilled as Tien or Goku in that regard. The scarfaced ex-bandit pulled the collar of the newly acquired black trenchcoat tighter around him as it started to rain. The material was at the least thick enough to resist the rain, if not keep him very warm. He would have to thank Gero for remembering him. At the last minute he had called him back and given him an old coat (none of the old man's shirts would fit of course), and a pair of rain boots.  
>However, it gave him an indelibly weird feeling when he caught sight of the slightly discolored patch where the Red Ribbon emblem had been peeled off the back. And was it just him, or did the shoe style resemble 'jackboots'?<p>

Yamcha shook his head, dismissing the thought and instead focusing on navigating back to West City. He had decided that following the river south was the quickest way to find civilization, and then he could get directions. For a long time the only sound was his footsteps, sloshing in mud.

Suddenly, a shrill scream pierced through the steady rain. Yamcha tensed. The sound came from very nearby. As he listened, he could hear an engine rev as well as renewed high pitched shrieking. He ran forwards.

"_Help me! Somebody, anybody, help me!_" a woman screamed.

Yamcha mounted the crest of the hill in one leap, skidding to a halt and searching. It took him just a moment to spot a young woman with a heavy looking duffel-bag being chased by two men on gyro-cycles, which looked like one-wheeled motorcycles; scowling, he raced down the muddy slope. He was almost there when one of the thugs knocked her off balance, sending her flailing over the bank of the nearby river.

"Hey! You leave her alone!" Yamcha shouted with all the force he could muster. The two men turned incredulously to look at him. One of them pulled out what looked like an iron baton.

"You'll stay out of our buisness if you know what's good for you, punk!" he snarled.

Yamcha fell into a crouching stance, ready to take them both down in an instant, when suddenly he noticed frantic splashing coming from the water where the young woman had landed. His eyes widened.

"Shit!" Yamcha picked up the pace and changed course, diving right past the startled men and into the pond. He immediately regretted it, as now his clothes were soaked through with the freezing water, and a lot heavier as well. He grabbed the girl and pushed towards the surface with his Ki.  
>He managed to get her head above water and she slowly calmed down, clinging to him and gasping. Unfortunatley, she was also wrapped around his legs. He pushed a curtain of dark hair out of her face fo she could see better.<p>

"Hold onto my shoulders, okay? I'll swim you to shore." he said.

She looked up at him in surprise, as if just realizing he had rescued her. After a moment, she nodded, and adjusted so she was riding piggyback.

A gunshot pierced the air, ripping through the water next to them and causing the girl to flinch noticeably. Yamcha glared up at the shoreline where the two thugs had leveled their guns at them and snarled. It wasn't an iron baton after all; It was a shotgun.

"Move and you're a dead man!" The first one said. He had a scar on his chin that twisted slightly as he grinned. "I warned you not to interfere. Now, for your trouble, you're going to hand over all your money and capsules."

"And I warned you to leave the girl alone." Yamcha growled.

"What are you, stupid? I said I'll blast your brains out!" he spat, cocking the gun for emphasis. Yamcha glared back, thinking fast. He knew he wouldn't be able to clear the distance between them while he was bogged down like this in the water, and with a passenger, no less; he might be able to fend off a shotgun blast, but _she_ definately couldn't.

So instead, he lifted his right hand and fired two quick Ki waves with the intent to knock them senseless.

Something unexpected happened.

Yamcha's eyes widened in shock as he saw the result. The blasts fired from his right hand had come out in concentrated bursts, not waves, acting like bullets of pure energy. The two men collapsed, stone dead with smoking fist-sized holes in their chests. He heard a gasp of shock from above him as his passenger saw the same thing he did; somehow, the fact that he'd just killed two men didn't bother him all that much. He was rather surprised.  
>Ignoring the nearly inaudible whimper he heard, he quickly scrambled out of the water. He was quite sure his clothes would never dry in this weather. As he set the trembling girl on the ground, he noticed suddenly she was hardly dressed appropriately for the weather, and must be even colder than he was.<p>

"Are you okay?" he asked tentatively. The girl didn't respond. Yamcha looked closer at her face and realized she was almost blue.

_Shit, I've gotta find her some warmth soon, or she might die! _

Yamcha paused, realizing he could just use Ki , but naturally hesitant to try after what happened. He carefully tested himself with his left hand this time, and felt a warm glow come into it as normal. He sighed as the warmth crept through the rest of his body. It seemed it was just his right hand that was messed up. He noticed that the mechanized appendage had absolutely no sensation of cold, whereas the rest of him was shivering.

Carefully raising his left hand to her shoulder, he directed a gentle pulse of heat energy at the girl, who responded by looking up in terror.

"It's okay, I'm just gonna dry you off." he reassured her. In moments, her clothes and hair were dried, and he stood up and moved onto his own. For him it was a much easier task, just send the energy to his skin all at once and let it steam out.

The girl sneezed behind him. Maybe she'd caught a cold, it wouldn't surprise him. If the worst she had was a sniffle, they'd be all right.

Yamcha sighed, shaking the last drips out of his hair. He decided it was a good thing he wasn't a skilled flier yet, or he'd be tempted to fly everywhere. Then he'd never be on the same level as-

The sound of a mechanical pull back loading startled him out of his thoughts. Yamcha froze as the cold yet oddly familiar barrel of a submachine-gun was pushed up against his cheek.

"Where am I?" she demanded. "Did you take me here?"

"Launch?" he said incredulously, recognizing the voice. The dark haired girl now sported wavy blonde hair and a mean squint. He hadn't recognized her before, mostly because she'd been soaking wet and covered in mud; she was still covered in mud, but now her tough talk was coming through loud and clear.

The transforming girl blinked in recognition, looking closer at him. "Hey, I know you. Isn't your name Yamcha? I hardly recognized you."

"Yeah, that's me." he laughed. "Uh... feeling better?"

"Huh?" she raised an eyebrow. "What're you talkin' about?"

"You almost drowned back there. And afterwards, you almost had hypothermia."

"Wait, I had what!" she shouted. "Damnit, I thoght I told her to get swimming-lessons already!" she snarled, referring to her other self.

"Talking to yourself again, Launch?" Yamcha smirked nervously.

Launch glared at him, but after a second she smirked back.

She put down her gun and quickly looked around, noticing right away the overturned gyro-cycles and their owners, dead and still smoking. She whistled, a twisted grin forming on her face, which Yamcha had to admit looked pretty good on her.

"Nice. You did that?" she asked, thumbing towards the scene.

"Yeah. It was easy, really." He said, staring into the palm of his right hand. A small red orb he hadn't noticed before retracted behind a metal plate, vanishing again.

"Don't be modest! You really saved my ass there! Those were both serious bounty-hunters."

"Don't mention it." he said, dazedly. _Just perfect. Wrong side of the law again,_ he thought, rubbing his eyes.

"Alright, I won't. Here you go, cutie." Launch said, shoving something into his hand. Yamcha looked down in surprise and realized after a second it was a stack of bank notes. Knowing her, this was definately stolen.

"Don't spend it all in one place!" she called over her shoulder.

"Why, is it traceable?" he muttered, tucking it into his belt anyway.

The rev of an engine alerted him to her commandeering one of the abandoned gyro-cycles and taking off without him, which was a pretty good idea now that he thought about it.

He walked over and picked up the one that had been overturned, checking it for damage. It looked to be in rough shape, like something that had been broken and shoddily put together just recently; he doubted he could cover much distance on this.

"Damn." he spat. He had to resist the urge to leave a large fist-shaped dent in it's engine casing.

There was no telling what had gone down while he'd been away. He had no time to waste. Right now, he just needed to find the highway, and get to the others as fast as possible.

Suddenly, a loud bang startled him. He looked up just in time to catch sight of launch kicking the side of her stolen vehicle, which was pouring black smoke already.

"Dammit! Flimsy piece of shit!" he heard Launch curse. Something about that made him want to laugh, but he knew better. He stared back at the one he was working on with a sigh. This one wouldn't stand up to continued use either...

An idea occured to him.

"Hey, Launch! You wouldn't happen to know the way to West City from here, would you?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure I do." she said.

"Great. Think you could take me there?" he smiled in relief.

"Hey wait, don't you _live_ in West City?" Launch glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Are you lost or somthin'?"

"Something like that, yeah..." Yamcha admitted, looking at his feet.

"That's pathetic." she said. "Tell me somethin'. You know anything about fixin' these things?"

Yamcha nodded, grateful for the years he'd spent of working on his desert Jet-Maus. The thing was so cobbled together it was practically a lawnmower, but by the time he was 16 he knew enough about motors to fix most gas-powered models.

"Here's the deal; You fix my bike, and I'll let _you_ ride bitch."

"Huh?"

It took Yamcha a moment to realize she was refferring to sharing a seat on a motorcycle, and not ...something else. From the look on her face, she knew _exactly_ what he was thinking. Yamcha glanced down, heart racing.

Did she realize how awkward he felt around women?

"How about it?" she said smugly.

"You want to drive? I dunno..." Yamcha sighed._ This could lead to trouble if the cops came after her._

"What's that, you've got a problem? Huh, Mr. Man?" she shot back angrily. "You think you're a better driver just 'cause you've got a pair? Huh?"

Yamcha stepped back, holding his hands up defensively. He wasn't sure if she realized she was still holding an Uzi while she talked to him, but he was sure it was hard to hold a coherent thought with the threat of bulets aimed at his head.

"What? No! Nothing like that! I was worried because, you know, you're being chased by the law!"

Launch squinted at him and tucked the gun back into her belt.

"That's my business, alright? You don't need to worry about it." she said.

"And it's just fine with you if I get arrested as an accomplice?" he snapped.

For a moment Launch stared back at him in outrage, but then she just looked away.

"If that's what you think, forget about me being grateful." she said.

Yamcha blinked, realizing how cruel he'd sounded, and raised a hand apologetically; It was really too late to take it back, but... _what the hell is wrong with me?_ he thought. He didn't usually lash out at people.

"It's... It's not like that. I'll help you out if I can, it's just-"

"Yeah, whatever."

"It's not personal." he finished lamely.

Yamcha the Desert Wolf. That's what they had called him. It couldn't have been more than six or seven years ago. If she got caught, he had himself to worry about first...

Launch interrupted his thoughts.

"Well, it's back this way. I've got some tools and shit, but I don't know what I'm doing here. I'd appreciate any help you could give." she said quietly, shrugging.

Yamcha followed her back down the trail hesitantly. He realized now it had stopped raining, although it was still grey and freezing cold out.

_What are you doing, Yamcha_, he thought to himself. _This girl is bad. Or at least, she's half bad... _

He stared ahead of him at her wavy blond hair, held back with a red ribbon, and felt a pang of a moment he stopped cold, another emotion, this time a bitter feeling sweeping through him. _Desert Wolf, _it said._ You think you're better than her now?_

Yamcha rubbed at his eyes, willing away memories. Was he just being self righteous in calling her out like this? They were both just looking out for themselves. She was no different from he was.

In fact, she was more innocent than he was.

"Launch, wait a minute." he said, starting after her.

She paused, half turning to look at him. For a split second, he could have sworn she had an expression of deep sadness. It froze him in his tracks.

"What is it now?" she said, sounding annoyed.

"Are you alright?" he asked before he could stop himself.

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" she corssed her arms indignantly, making a face. "I've never been better!"

Yamcha blinked in confusion at the sudden outburst. She seemed back to normal.

"Alright. Uh, but that's not what I was going to say... hmm..." Yamcha paused, scratching the back of his neck as he pondered how exactly to phrase what he wanted to say. It should have been simple. Why couldn't he just say what he wanted to? Was it because she was a girl?

"Launch, I'm-"

But, his train of thought was derailed yet again when she suddenly grabbed his shirtfront with both hands and started crying loudly.

Yamcha stood still and stared, trying to piece together in his head what was wrong with what was going on. She was uncharacteristically moody, and had even broken down into tears, something he'd NEVER seen her do as a blonde. And she was swinging between moods, almost like she was schizophrenic or-

_What am I saying, of course she's schizophrenic. She's Launch._

He laid his human arm around her shoulder. Launch lived every day with her memories and personality divided between two polar opposites. _Her life must be really freakin' weird_.

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

Yamcha waited while her sobs slowly quieted down, unsure of exactly what he should do. Launch shuddered, pushing him away. It almost seemed as if she'd just become aware of what she'd been doing. Strangely, Yamcha had he same feeling.

"Are you gonna be okay?" he asked, almost to himself.

She nodded shakily.

"Yeah." she said.

Yamcha had his doubts, but he stayed quiet.

"I've been chasing that bastard for five years." she said suddenly. "I love him, goddammit. Why-why won't he even l-look at me?"

Yamcha blinked. Was she talking about Tien?

He couldn't answer that, and he knew ir was hypothetical anyways. But the thought made him angry. How could anyone ignore this girl for so long? If it were him, he'd-

Yamcha froze. He'd do what? Was he really thinking like this about someone other than Bulma? He didn't even know anymore. The last time he'd seen her, she'd told him that she hated him. He didn't really know what it was like to be chased, but he knew what it was like to chase someone who was completely out of your league.

Damn. He couldn't say any of that sappy crap out loud.

"I- I think Tien's an idiot. If he doesn't appreciate a pretty girl like you, who needs him?" he said quickly, blushing furiously.

Launch looked up at him in shock and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Maybe he shouldn't be insulting the object of her obsession, he thought frantically.

"Do you mean that? You think I'm pretty?" she said, wide-eyed.

"What? Hasn't anyone ever told you before?" he said. Launch shook her head.

Suddenly, she sniffled, raising a hand to her face.

"Shit, I'm gonna sneeze again- ah- auh..."

She held it back quickly, looking him in the eye with something like determination. Something about that actually frightened him, even knowing she was about to transform into her peaceful form, not vise versa.

She grabbed his shirtfront again, pulling him close.

"B-but, before I go, I got somethin' for ya-"

Before he could even react, she grabbed his head with her other hand and forced her lips onto his, stunning him completely with a passionate kiss.

After just a moment though she practically sneezed into his mouth. It went off like a shotgun blast in his face, knocking him over.

One not so dainty little sneezing fit later, she lost her balance and tumbled to the ground, her hair turning dark blue again. She landed on her backside with a sharp cry of pain. Yamcha landed opposite her, eyes wide.

"Oh my!" she said, becoming aware of her surroundings. "What have I been doing?"

"I wish I knew..." Yamcha muttered, wiping his mouth with some regret.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I'm really glad to see this chapter going up now, because I had to fix my computer monitor just to finish writing it, and so It's coming in late now. Hey, to all you writers: Do you usually get theme music from the show stuck in your head while you write like I do?

Anyways, hope you like it! If you do, please review. If you don't like it, review and tell me why.

**Human Limitations, Chapter 5:**

Nappa lifted his portion of the alien meat out of the fire, checking it over to see that it was cooked the way he wanted it. Unable to wait any longer, the saiyan tore a large piece off the bone and taste-tested it. After a moment, he made a face, but finished chewing and swallowed. It would have to do, he decided.

The small campsite they had made was rather spartan in it's accommodations, with the only available shelter from the elements being the space-pods they'd arrived in. The guttering fire-pit nearby was roasting several thickly carapaced creatures. Once the shell itself was cracked off, the meat was _extremely _spicy and hard to chew.

Some twigs breaking lightly under small steps was all the saiyan general had to warn him of his Prince's return before his stern voice shattered the still air.

"Nappa. Report," he said, taking a seat in front of his portion, still roasting in the half-shell; the young Prince's portion was far larger than the older saiyan's, as was dictated by social rank.

"Sir," Nappa said, tossing the cleaned bone into the firepit. "We received new orders from Planet Freeza 76. We're to rush completion on the Arlian purge to meet the buyer's requirements."

"Hmph. I suppose we've delayed him long enough." the prince smirked. "Anything else?"

"Not yet, sir."

Vegeta glanced up at him from the corner of his eye in a way that always unnerved the older saiyan. It was like being looked down on from a lofty height, like he was insignificant by comparison. He knew from experience that look was not directed at him, but through him, all the way back to Freeza; Revenge was all he thought about, after all...

After a few seconds, he huffed and turned his glare back to the fire, allowing the older saiyan a sigh of relief. Vegeta chose a large skewer of meat that looked done and tore into it hungrily; It took far too long to cook something that thick through, so he typically just left it there to heat it up a little. The blackened skin crunched once, quickly giving way to rare meat.

"That's just as well. We don't have all the time in the world to wait around for that fool. If he doesn't make contact in time, that's his problem." Vegeta stopped chewing, a strange expression crossing his looked pleased. Nappa wrinkled his nose.

_Royals have strange tastes,_ the older saiyan thought with a hint of irony.

"What worries me is the question of loyalty, Nappa." the prince continued, thoughtfully. Nappa glanced at him, gauging his mood.

"You think he might desert? I seriously doubt he'd try and make a break for it with this much at stake, but I wouldn't put it past a third-class like him." Nappa grunted, smirking at the thought. His opinion regarding Raditz had never been high in the first place.

"You're not eating, Nappa?" Vegeta noted, glancing sidelong at the general.

Nappa looked up in surprise, spluttering.

"Not really, sir I... I didn't care for the taste..."

"Really? So, you would serve me food you deemed unfit for yourself..." the prince said dangerously. Nappa started, and then obediently picked up his portion of the foul alien meat and dug in again.

"That's better." Vegeta smirked, wiping a red trickle off his chin with the back of his glove. "Try to keep your strength up, or you'll be of no use to me anymore. Understand?"

"Of course, Vegeta sir." Nappa grinned nervously. The prince laughed softly, seeming to draw amusement from this.

Suddenly, Nappa's scouter went off, signaling that he had intercepted their first transmission from brutish saiyan general grunted in annoyance, an action that was complete affectation in the face of his fear of the prince.

"About time we heard from that low-class..." Nappa said.

Vegeta tapped a button to listen in.

At a certain point in the recording, the prince smirked, folding his arms across his chest. He would have to thank Raditz for always thinking of his worthless brother. If what he'd just heard was in fact true, things were looking to get _very_ interesting in the near future.

...

Taking a deep breath, Goku pushed the buttons he remembered Bulma showing him, and then put on the little headset microphone and waited for it to connect. After a few moments, there was the sound of someone else picking up on the other end of the line.

'Hello?" a feminine voice answered.

"Bulma?" he said, speaking a little louder than necessary. "Is that you? Did I get the number right?"

'Goku! Finally! Please tell me you found him...' Bulma said, the desperation in her voice coming through. Goku winced, staring at the scrap of bloodied orange cloth in his hand. Could he really tell her like this?

"I'm not sure, exactly..." he stammered. Bulma paused on the other end.

'What do you mean, not sure?' she asked quietly. 'Goku? What aren't you telling me?"

"I found a piece of his uniform, but he's nowhere in sight."

There was a long pause. Just as he started to think something was wrong, she spoke again.

'Are you sure it's his?'

Goku nodded. He was sure it couldn't belong to anyone else; It was covered with Yamcha's scent... and his blood, too...

'Goku? Hello?' Bulma shouted, startling him.

"Oh, right. You can't see me over there," he said, smacking his head. "I mean, yeah... yeah, I'm sure."

'How can you be so sure? You said you couldn't_ find _him-' she shot back. Goku wasn't sure, but she sounded almost angry.

"I can smell him on this piece, so I know. He's dead, Bulma. There's blood all over... And I can't find his Ki anywhere..." he said quietly. He was right when he thought it would be hard to tell her all this. There was a kind of long silence before either of them spoke. When she finally spoke up, she started with a soft, sad laugh that sounded like a repressed sob.

'I'm sorry to put you through all this trouble for me, Goku. You should be getting back to Chi Chi and Gohan by, and I'm making you do things...'

"Bulma..." he started, but she cut him off again.

'No, just go. You've done plenty already, Goku. Anyways, we can just summon the Eternal Dragon and _wish _all this _away..."_

"Bulma, I'm sorry..." he interjected, bracing himself.

_That's what I thought, too..._

"I've got some more bad news."

'What is it?' Bulma said, after a horrified pause.

"I don't think we'll be able to wish him back after this. Or any of the people who were killed today, for that matter."

_'What? Why? Goku, what are you saying?'_

Goku sighed, remembering his promise. He had to be strong, now.

"If Piccolo _is_ behind this, I'm going to take full responsibility and kill him once and for all, even if that means the dragonballs will disappear forever." he said, gritting his teeth.

'Just listen, Goku, we can use the dragonballs to banish Piccolo to another dimension where he can't-"

"No, you listen!" Goku shot back, voice shaking. "The dragonballs have _limits_, Bulma. They can't revive anyone who's been _dead_ for longer than a year unless the body was preserved perfectly, which it isn't. If we used the wish on Piccolo, we'd have to wait another year just to wish everyone else back! And if we go after the dragonballs now, more people will die in that time."

'Goku, no! It's not right, we _can't_ just leave him _dead_ after he died trying to protect everyone- W-we brought back_ your _friends, Krillin and Tien and Chiaotzu and Roshi after all they sacrificed themselves against Piccolo, why not _Yamcha_! For fucks' sake, _I love him_, Goku!'

"And I hate this as much as you. I'm not a god, Bulma, I can't_ save _everyone!"

There was a silence where he could hear her crying and didn't say anything. For the first time in his life, Goku felt absolutely powerless. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

"A god, huh..." he muttered out loud without realizing.

"...Goku? What was that?"

"Bulma? Do you remember what Kami said at the end of the last martial arts tournament?"

'W-what? That was years ago, but yeah, I do ... He said it was his fault that Piccolo existed, and he regretted making the dragonballs-'

"He also said I was the only one he would trust to be his successor..." Goku said, trailing off into thought.

'Goku? What was that? I didn't-'

The connection cut out suddenly, leaving Bulma Briefs confused, and alone again.

Goku clutched the wireless headset, nearly trembling with the revelation. Kami had trained him personally, and had actually asked him to take over the throne once. At the time, he turned him down because he didn't want the responsibility.

He had literally turned down the powers of a_ god_.

He really _could_ have saved everyone.

If he had Kami's powers, think of all the _good_ he could do...

He could wipe out all the evil in the whole _world_, if he wanted...

Goku sighed, shaking his head. It was actually kinda scary to think about having that much power. He knew it wouldn't be easy for everyone to accept, but he was sure this was the only decision he could make in good concsience.

...

Raditz quickly made his kill, aiming with a swift chop to the base of the skull with a bone-breaking snap. The panicked creature fell silently, although there was a barely audible gurgle as a trickle of blood flowed from the mouth. Raditz laughed triumphantly, dropping out of flight long enough to effortlessly hoist the four-footed creature over one shoulder.

"You gave me quite a chase, but in the end you are still my prey!" he smirked, admiring the limp carcass.

Anything that could sprint for that long would certainly have a gamey and tough flesh, but if it's taut and glistening hide was any indication, it was in the prime of it's health. A few samples of such beasts would likely be sufficient to sustain two saiyans for a while.

Raditz glanced around at the strange metal mesh of the enclosure, which he hadn't noticed when his scouter picked up the life signals. Garishly colored warnings in the strange blocky earth-glyphs were posted at regular intervals. Obviously, it was designed to keep these creatures contained.

Out of curiosity, Raditz peeled back the upper lip of the beast's muzzle. Sure enough, it had vicious fangs; It was no doubt considered a dangerous predator on this pathetic little planet. The creature didn't look all that dangerous to the experienced saiyan. It resembled a wild dog, perhaps the earth's equivalent species, but far smaller than that which Raditz was accustomed to seeing.

A savage growl from behind him caught his attention, and signalled the approach of more beasts like the first one emerging from the underbrush. An entire pack of the snarling hunters circled around, seeking to pin him down. Raditz smirked.

"Greedy little dogs who don't know when to cut their losses," he said to no one but himself.

A few blasts would make short work of them all, but would probably ruin the taste of the meat. That was unacceptable. Instead, he dealt with each one in turn with a swift chop when they got too close. He was well aware that he was taking slightly longer than anticipated, but he doubted it would matter. Kakarot would easily find some way to occupy his time, no doubt.

After a short while of picking them off in this manner, he hoisted a hefty mass of fresh kills over his right shoulder, holding onto the bundled carcasses only by their tails.

Taking to the air and making sure not to lose his hold on his bundle of food, Raditz quickly turned and headed back to the city.

Touching down next to his space pod, he glanced around in confusion when his younger brother was nowhere in sight.

"Don't tell me he got tired of waiting." Raditz huffed. He checked his scouter and discovered him sitting on a boulder nearby, seemingly deep in thought. The dark expression on his face was something he hadn't seen yet, but had been expecting. He was a saiyan, after all.

"Hey! Dinner time, Kakarot!" he shouted.

The younger saiyan snapped out of his thoughts and met his eyes with a smile, waving. The movement was punctuated by an acute growling noise. He grabbed his stomach, turning red slightly.

"Bring it here, I'm starving!" he shouted back.

"I bet you are! Take as much as you can eat, alright?" Raditz said, laughing. He dropped the furry mass unceremoniously.

Goku jumped up and slid off the tall rock, which was actually part of a building now that he looked closer. Raditz chuckled at the excitable antics of the younger saiyan, but he couldn't begin to know what was going through his brother's mind. Goku surreptitiously pocketed the headset, vowing to talk to Chi Chi about it later. He didn't even know his own phone number anyways...

"Wow, it's been a while since I've had wolf for dinner..." he said, sniffing it with a distant expression. "Chi Chi doesn't like it. I almost can't remember the taste..."

He paused, looking around the pile.

"Hey, what about firewood?"

Raditz blinked. "Firewood?" he repeated blankly.

"Yeah, how are we supposed to cook it?" he said, frowning.

Raditz shook his head with a laugh.

"We don't need firewood for that." he said with a smirk.

He aimed his hand at the ground nearby and focused his power, drawing out a crackling blast that lit the rocks on fire and set a slight indent into the ground.

"Like this, see?" he said, dragging a couple whole carcasses over the fire. Within moments, the skin melted and the meat dripped delicious smelling juices. It was enough to make his stomach growl; And not just his, either. Raditz glanced back over to see his younger brother hovering over his shoulder.

"Oh, man that smells _incredible_..." he said, reaching for some. Raditz blocked him.

"Hold up a second, Kakarot! You still haven't told me whether or not you'll join me." Raditz asked suddenly. Goku realized if he wanted to eat, he'd have to go through him.

"If I say yes, do I get the food?" Goku asked just as seriously.

Raditz blinked, thinking over the absurd question.

"... Yes?"

"I'll help out!" Goku said, nodding his head with a determined gleam in his eyes.

"Really?" Raditz shot back incredulously. "All I had to do was bribe you with food?"

"Uh... Of course, I was going to help out anyways. That is, once I've finished up some business here on earth."

"I'm glad to hear it, little brother! I'll leave you the coordinates and you can meet us in space..."

"I can't share your spaceship?" Goku asked suddenly. Raditz snorted, looking at him like he was hilarious..

"Share it? Do you think there's room for the both of us in that little thing?"

"I think I can deal with being cramped up a little." Goku said quietly, looking at his feet.

"No deal. You're not afraid to fly solo are you?" Raditz said, eyeing him critically with a smirk.

"Uh... I would, but there's just one problem with that. I don't know where my spaceship** is**," Goku admitted, scratching his head bashfully.

"You don't, huh...?" the older saiyan muttered. He scratched his chin. "Well, all I can suggest is go _find_ the damn thing, Kakarot. And when you do, meet me in space."

"That might take a while. Are you going to eat that?"

"Sheesh, fine. You can have this one. Think fast!" Raditz said playfully. He grabbed one of the sizzling hounds by the tail and quickly tossed it, and the younger saiyan tried to catch it with his bare hands. He quickly yelped and dropped it. Raditz snickered.

"Ouch! No fair! That was a _hot _dog!" he said, before realizing he said a joke and laughing at it. Raditz didn't get it, not knowing what a hot dog was in the first place, and just dug into his own piece of meat.

Goku sighed, settling down to enjoy the meal, and his thoughts wandered to his wife and son. If things turned out the way he thought they would, he might have to say goodbye to them for a while.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: This went smoother than expected, so enjoy the early update!

**Human Limitations, Chapter 6:**

Yamcha cranked back on the ignition, revving the small but powerful machine into full torque as soon as the smoother and more navigable terrain of the city road became available. It was a little strange to adjust to the balance of two riding simultaneously, but he had enough experience with chases to manage.

Launch, however, proved to be a problem. Her mild-mannered side seemingly had no practical experience in riding a gyro-cycle, or any other vehicle for that matter, as driving fast made her nervous; Apparently she got around by hitchhiking in one form and joyriding in the next.

After a while on the ill-kept dirt road, the way smoothed out and they found themselves in Gingertown's 'historic downtown', or at least, that's what the billboard said when they rode in. There was no-one in sight, and everything was worn-looking brick, no capsule domes in sight; about as far as you could get from technologically-driven West City. The only sound was the rough rumble of the hybrid engine in the gyro-cycle.

"Man, this place is dead." he said aloud, glancing around. "If by 'historic' they meant museum exhibit, then somebody should give them a prize."

Launch giggled. "I think little hick-towns like this are cute!"

Yamcha glanced over his shoulder for a second. "What's cute about it?"

"Living a simpler life, you know? Isn't it just so romantic?"

Yamcha snorted. "No way, being poor sucks. There's nothing romantic about it."

"Oh, really? Darn it." she pouted. Sighing, she rested her head on Yamcha's shoulder in a way that made him uncomfortably hot. He knew she couldn't keep a hold on him if he complained, but it was almost too much. _And here I was just getting along with her._

The scar-faced ex-rogue held back on the ignition as he suddenly noticed a flashing light on the power gage.

He glanced down to confirm the charge level and squinted in annoyance. There wasn't all that much in the tank. He could cover a mile, or maybe just half a mile on the backup battery, but that was it. He would have to find supplies. Speaking of which, he hadn't eaten since before the operation.

"You hungry, Launch?" he asked, not turning back this time.

"Actually, yes! I don't think I had time to eat breakfast, but then I can't really be sure..."

"Riiight. Well, we need to get some gas anyways, so lets find a place with some snacks." he shouted back over the whine of the engine. He glanced around, still seeing no one. He didn't bother with the speed limit.

Following the road signs and his own sense of geography he banked smoothly to the left and came to a bridge that would take him over the river and set him one step closer to West City. But first, supplies. He chose a conveniently placed storefront proclaiming GENERAL PROVISIONS with neon lights saying OPEN, and slowed his speed to a crawl.

He glanced around, frowning as he tried to pinpoint exactly what was giving him an uneasy feeling. After a moment, he shrugged it off as nerves.

"Watch our ride, okay?"

"Sure thing!"

"You can let go now." he smirked back at launch. She carefully released her vice-grip around his waist while Yamcha lowered the kickstand.

"Oh, wait a minute! Do you need some extra cash?" she suddenly asked, reaching for her bag.

"Er, no thanks, I have plenty." he said, remembering the wad of suspiciously acquired bills the blonde version of Launch had slipped him earlier.

Yamcha turned and headed for the storefront, surprised when the automatic doors didn't open for him. He peered inside. The place was perfectly lit. After a few seconds of thought he rapped on the glass pane to try and get someones attention.

When that didn't work, he pried open the automatic doors with a quick jerk that sounded like it tore some metal apart in the inner working. It also cracked the glass.

Stifling a curse, and ignoring Launch's startled reaction to the noise, he clambered in through the gap to investigate. Something was beginning to strike him as odd about this town.

That feeling was only reinforced when he caught sight of clods of dirt strewn on the tiled floor. It didn't take him long to find the source; there was a hole in the middle of the store. By the looks of it, something large had tunneled through the foundations and emerged from there. The heavy smudging of dirt continued in a pattern like something dragged itself across the floor. Following the trail behind the counter, Yamcha stopped in confusion at what he found.

"Somebodies clothes...?"

A pair of slacks and a plaid shirt. A pair of glasses and a pair of shoes, the socks still in them. The oddest thing was the way they were laid out, as though a person had been wearing them and then just vanished; the only sign something had even happened was two identical puncture-marks on the chest-part of the shirt. And there was more than one set.

He now realized with a start he couldn't sense any Ki around but theirs. His eyes narrowed as he began picking up traces of another Ki, although it was so distorted he could hardly tell what it was supposed to be. It was nearby... and it certainly wasn't human.

"Aiiiieeeeee!"

Yamcha spun around at the sound of Launch's screaming and bolted for the door, almost slipping in the still fresh mud on the tiles.

"Launch!" he called out.

He spun, searching. He couldn't find her immediately, but then a strange sound alerted him to a presence. Quickly assuming a stance, he flipped forward just as something heavy hit the pavement behind him with an angry hiss.

His eyes widened in shock as he took in it's monstrous shape. It's body was like an enormous bloated Cicada, but impossibly huge for an insect; It was more the size of a large dog, and twice as wide. Launch whimpered as It's fangs hovered just over her midsection.

"Help!" she cried, her voice barely coming out.

"I'll get you out of there, just trust me and stay still!" he said, raising his hand crackling with energy. Launch clamped down on her lip, shaking.

Yamcha readied the ball of energy in front of him to spatter the thing all over the town, but was stopped short as it hissed warningly, tightening it's massive foreleg around the struggling girl's waist as it positioned her between them.

Yamcha's eyes widened as he realized what the creature was doing.

"Holding a hostage?" he growled, lowering his hand. The energy he'd gathered disappeared with a fizzle. "You're no ordinary bug."

In a split second, the creature caught him off guard by vaulting over the prone body of the girl like a grasshopper, landing on top of him while he was still standing. He struggled to push it's massive forelimbs off of him and gagged as a wave of foul breath washed over him. The thing was incredibly stubborn, refusing to let go of it's grip and trying to push itself closer, presumably right to his unprotected neck.

He decided to use the momentum of the creature against it, flipping over backwards and controlling his fall so that he slammed it into the ground, freeing himself and cracking the asphalt. He pushed himself off into a flip at the instant it's grip loosened, landing an Axe-kick to it's unguarded midsection. The kick dented it, but even that had barely any effect on the creature's persistence as it once again attempted to pin itself to his extended leg.

"Damn it! Don't you know when to call it quits!" Yamcha snarled. Using the creature itself as leverage, he used his free leg to land several harsh kicks to its face and especially the eyes. It hissed and tightened it's hold, although it was obviously in pain.

"Be careful, don't let it sting you!" Launch shrieked.

Yamcha looked down in shock as the insectoid freak gnashed it's twin mandibles, aiming for his other leg as it passed again. That might have actually got him; in the split second it's slavering mouth-hole was opened wide, he pulled back and rammed his heel into it with a sloppy crunch. The creature finally released it's grip again as Yamcha stomped with all the force he could leverage against it.

He kicked it one last parting shot to the weak point he'd made and sent it skidding roughly thirty feet into the street, finally curling up on it's back like a dead potato-bug. Yamcha breathed a tired sigh of relief, and he heard Launch do the same. He pushed a long lock of his hair out of his eyes and shot her a smile.

"Thanks for the head's up, Launch..." he panted, taking a knee. The area where he'd been constricted was painful and almost completely numb in the area below it. He was sure the bones had been close to snapping. _That thing had one hell of a grip. It just kept coming back for more no matter what I gave it._

"Yamcha, lets just get out of here!" Launch urged, pulling him to his feet. "I don't wanna be around here if there are any more of these things!"

"Yeah, just hold on a sec." he said with a growl.

Standing up unsteadily, he narrowed his glare down the crumbling street. Lifting his right hand he sent several searing red blasts after the creature, not stopping until it was reduced to a scorched husk, and it's twisted energy was snuffed. It twitched one last time before the fire engulfed it, and that part of the street, completely.

If there were any more, I doubt they'd wait this long to stop me, Yamcha mused, staring into the flames.

"Now we can go." he said.

Turning to leave, Yamcha suddenly jolted in surprise as his foot clung to the ground, nearly tripping him up. He realized with some alarm that the sole of the boot that had kicked the inside of the creature's mouth was liquefying into a sticky mess right there on the pavement.

"What... the hell?"

He easily scraped the stuff off on the pavement. These were some damn tough boots, he realized shortly afterward, when he saw the spreading steam on the ground as it burned away at the surface of the concrete.

Wherever the creature's saliva touched saw the same damage. The leather boot had rapidly putrefied when exposed. His mind flashed back to the empty clothes he'd discovered, with the twin punctures, and he realized immediately how he'd almost become that creature's next meal. It would only take one chomp for that sludge to burn it's way through his circular system.

"This creature must have survived by feeding off the townspeople." he said, turning back. "And this is how it did it. It turned them into an acid soup and slurped 'em up."

"How horrible..."

"...Yeah."

"It doesn't make any sense. Where does a monster like that even come from? Is this all a nightmare?"

Yamcha glanced back once. He didn't have an answer for that, but if he had to guess, he'd say it came from hell and it was on it's way home.

The flames from his finishing move would spread down the rest of the street pretty soon, from the look of it. The older wood and brick constructions would burn quickly, and the whole town would go up like a pile of matchsticks. _Let it burn. There's no one left to hurt here_, he found himself thinking.

From where he was standing, it looked like a funeral pyre.

"Come on, lets go." he said.

"What about the supplies?"

Yamcha nodded back to Launch. She was right, after all.

The two quickly salvaged what he could from the general store and stuffed it into a bag Launch had supplied him with; he supposed it wasn't unusual for a bank robber to carry bags. Among some of the items they picked up were canned goods, beans, and fish. Launch picked up a chocolate bar. Yamcha spotted a shotgun he liked, but he left it behind the counter. He didn't need a weapon, he told himself.

He paused, thinking it over. Maybe_ Launch _could use it. She needed something to defend herself with. On the other hand, she had an Uzi that she only used half the time. And if he carried a weapon, it wouldn't matter if he used it or not. Most people were more threatened by someone pointing a double-barrel at them than an open hand anyway.

Yamcha tore it off the shelf, muttering to himself as he looped it over his back with a strap. He didn't know why his instincts kept acting up, but he knew it didn't pay to ignore them. He included a box of ammunition just in case.

He just wished it didn't all feel so familiar. Like the only difference between him now and then was... what, exactly? He laid low for a few years, hung out with law abiding good people, tried to help? Was that worth anything in the end, when a freaking space monster came and blew up your city?

He didn't know. All he was doing was preparing to protect his turf. If that meant fighting freaks, sure, he could fight freaks.

As they stepped outside, the small bonfire was now curling up with black smoke as the dead town started to burn up. Launch sniffled, tears welling up in her eyes as she watched it.

"Yamcha, I... I," she started, looking at him with her face screwed up.

Yamcha turned, clapping a hand on her shoulder. He smiled lopsidedly in his way. "I know; It's been one of those days. Are you gonna be alright?"

"Achoo...!"

Yamcha squeezed his eyes shut a little too late.

"I'll take that as a yes." he groaned, wiping his face with his sleeve. At this point he just hoped he wouldn't catch something.

Launch blinked furiously and rubbed her eyes as she stepped out of the plume of irritating smoke. Now in her blonde form again, she looked at Yamcha, with his hand still on her shoulder, and blushed slightly as she recalled her last memory.

She shrugged him off and glanced around, a practiced habit of taking note of details born from constantly being dropped into weird situations.

"Okay, now I'm lost. Did we just rob a convenience store together, or what?" she said in disbelief. She looked really happy about it, though.

"W-well, sort-of, I guess ..." Yamcha smiled, laughing somewhat nervously as he watched her rummage through the now full bag. She glanced up at him questioningly at 'sort of'.

"Seriously? How do you 'sort of' loot a burning building?" she smirked, elbowing him in the ribs. A second later, she rubbed her elbow and winced as it had unknowingly struck the metal portion of his ribcage.

Yamcha froze in place, the smile wiping all traces of itself off his face as he found himself inexplicably looking into the palm of his hand, or rather, the thing pretending to be his arm. All the way down to the creases in the fingers and the way it moved, it looked like an ordinary right hand.

Half his torso was still wrapped in bandages from the unplanned operation, and he could still feel the skin pulling at the thick scar tissues; and here he was, getting comfortable with a hunk of metal fashioned by a mad scientist? One that killed people?

_That's enough_, he scowled to himself, making it into a fist. The arm was gone, and he had more important things to think about. Like getting back to West City and finding out _first hand_ what happened while he was out... For that matter, he wasn't even sure how long he'd been out. He tried asking Launch before, but predictably, she had no idea herself.

"You coming?" Launch called. Yamcha blinked and looked up. In the time it had taken him to shake himself out of his thoughts she was already saddled up on their commandeered gyro-cycle with all the bags.

She looked over her shoulder at him over her cascading golden locks and shot him a smirk."You still wanna go to West City, right? Mind if I drive?" she said.

Nodding, the scar-faced ex-bandit allowed himself a smile.

_Traveling again_. It reminded him of old times. And for once, it wasn't so bad.

...

From a distance, a small robot observed everything and returned to it's master, bearing yet another payload of living tissue. It's minuscule A.I., constructed only for the purpose of reconnoiter, overlooked entirely the possibility of discovery; and so it was caught completely off guard as a low-energy Ki blast struck it from above, fragmenting it beyond all repair.

The airborne attacker smirked, secure in the knowledge that this particular surveillance robot would never reach it's master... And with that, vanished.

...

Goku watched as the pod bearing his only older brother, Raditz, lifted off the ground in an invisible curtain of energy and shot into space. He had only known the man for an hour, but already there was a sense of loneliness at saying goodbye. For just a few minutes that day, he forgot he was an Earthling, and enjoyed being a Saiyan with Raditz; All he had was the vague promise of being able to reach him in outer space, and to do that, he had to find a ship.

He sighed, turning his attention to other things. His hands fell to his hips as a concerned expression took over his face, as he surveyed the damage to the city. After a moment though, he broke out into a wide grin.

"This world is in some pretty bad shape! Somebody needs to clean this up, and it might as well be me, I guess..." he said, already planning.

He tilted his head back to look at the wide open blue sky._ But to do that, first I need to talk with Kami_.

"Flying NIMBUS!" he shouted, jumping as high as he could into the air, which was pretty high. From far in the distant horizon a sparkling golden cloud whistled to catch his fall and sweep him upwards at a thought.

Only one person stood among the wreckage of West City who bore witness to it.

Piccolo growled under his breath, cursing his failure. For the most part of an entire hour he had been pinned to the spot for fear of discovery by the Saiyan brothers. He'd heard everything they talked about, and it terrified him because he knew it was true. The thought that there could be beings out there with such god-like powers he hadn't dreamed of made his plans for this planet, dare he say it, utterly insignificant.

In a split second, he tasted fear.

The inheritor to the demon gritted his teeth. It was that Son Goku that taught him that fear five years ago at the Tenkaiichi Budokai. It was that Saiyan, Raditz, who made him taste fear a second time. And out there in space, there was someone infinitely worse.

It was no use denying his involvement in the attack on the city, even if he could prove he hadn't struck the blow itself; he had been planning that very day to do that very thing. If Son Goku sought his life as a result, his days were numbered. It wasn't like he could try and prove himself innocent, and then just go back to scheming his death...

_Innocent._ The very word applied to himself made him want to spit. Regardless, Son Goku was on his guard. It would be all the more difficult to end his life.

And yet, what benefit could he hope to gain from his death now that his _brother _took the stage? His brother was by far the more dangerous foe. His hand drifted to his mouth, where his fangs worried at the sharp tips of his fingers.

_Suppose I told Kami this, and the truth passed to Son... then surely the soft-hearted fool would turn against his new-found 'brother'... _Piccolo thought. He froze, one razor-sharp finger nail clenched between his teeth as the ramifications of the idea swept over him.

Yes, that would work. He could do it, and finish him for good that way...

At his bidding, Kami would unwittingly incite Goku against Raditz...

And yet, the idea repulsed him.

He, the demon, go back to Kami? Only his pride stopped him_. Kami _cast _him_ out, was _he _supposed to crawl back to him for mercy after three centuries, even if it was fake? Have _Kami _solve his problems, as though he had no power of his own?

With a snarl of impotent rage, Piccolo smashed the buildings around him with just his energy and took to the air, not even caring which way he went. No matter what he chose in this situation, it was the losing move.

"Somehow, I will bring you down with my OWN power!" he swore. At full speed he tore off towards the setting sun, trailing a shredded white cloak's remains behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: **This took way too long to write, I apologise, but it was kinda hard to write out. Hope it was worth it. Let this chapter be the end of all writers block forever! Pretty Please, Amen.

**Human Limitations, Chapter 7:**

Goku paused mid flight, noticing the grounds of Capsule Corp. below him, with Bulma's bright yellow air-car parked in front. He frowned. _Might as well do this before I go. I can't leave her hanging, after all..._

The young saiyan found Bulma in pretty much the same state she'd been in when he'd left her earlier that day. She only looked up and noticed him once his heavy boots hit the grounds of Capsule Corp.

"What do you want Goku?" She snapped, taking him by surprise.

"I... I couldn't leave without giving you this. I thought you'd like to have it, maybe. It was Yamcha's."

"Leave? What do you..." she started, trailing off into silence as she saw what he held out to her.

He carefully held out the torn orange cloth out to Bulma, who stared at it blankly before scowling up at him. She stood suddenly, snatching it out of his hand with a choking sob and cradling it to her chest.

"You... Why did you even bother coming back?"

"I was worried about you." he said simply, confused at the harsh tone in her voice.

"Yeah, I can really tell!" she shouted, turning to leave. Only Goku's last second grabbing her wrist halted her.

"Let me go, you moron!"

"B-bulma, calm down! I know you're upset, but can't we talk a moment?" he pleaded.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore, Goku!"

"I just wanted to talk to you, why are you acting like this? I said I'd talk to you on the phone call, remember? Why are you being so mean?"

Bulma spun angrily and Goku realized she was crying. "Are you really this dense? You don't even get it? You just got done telling me there was NO WAY we could wish Yamcha back, because you've got to go kill the evil Piccolo and be a hero!"

"That's not all there is to it, Bulma." Goku said sadly. "It's my fault. I chose to leave him alive and now this happened. I would have been there to help out if I could, Bulma, you know I would!"

"But you WEREN'T!" she spat, attempting to tug herself free. "After_ all that_, you just randomly show up an hour late with, with bloody spots and.. and _fur_ on your shirt... My _god, what _were you _doing?_ And if that wasn't enough, you hand me a dirty scrap of clothing, last known remnants of my very own _boyfriend_, and then you stand there and ask me how I'm feeling?"

And in that instant, she slapped him in the face.

Goku blinked in utter shock, unsure exactly what emotion he was settled on. Something between sadness and indignation, an unfamiliar feeling. He loosened his grip.

Bulma took the opportunity and yanked herself free.

Goku looked at his long-time friend dashing away unsteadily, and realized there really wasn't anything he could do or say. What did he really know about what she was going through? Sure, he'd felt the grief of loss before. But he'd never lost someone so close to him as Bulma had. He shuddered to think what it might be like to lose his wife or son, and be told he couldn't wish them back.

Familiar plodding footsteps came to a halt behind him, along with the soft clunk of a knotted wood staff. Goku didn't have to look to recognise his old master's presence nearby.

"Don't let it bother you, my boy. Bulma has always been the type to hide grief with anger."

"You mean she doesn't hate me?"

"Well, give her time, Goku."

The old master nodded, a deep furrow in his brow showed he'd been deep in thought, probably from pondering over their enemy. Goku turned and noticed somewhat late that the familiar expression-hiding sunglasses were nowhere to be found, and instead he saw many lines of worry around his old teacher's eyes.

Roshi offered a slight grin, clapping a hand on his student's back. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind for our reunioun after... what has it been, five years already? What have you been doing?"

"Sorry, master. I ran into something, found out some crazy things, and... ." he choked, sitting down suddenly. Goku scratched his head, a strange feeling welling up in his chest. So far, he'd seen a familiar city nearly destroyed, lost one friend, broke another friend's heart...

...But worst of all, was that deeply disturbing feeling he could only remember feeling once before, when he found Krillin's body slain by King Piccolo's minion.

Roshi's hand on his shoulder startled him somewhat, but he quickly covered it with a laugh.

"Man, it's been a long day." he said, laughing lightly. "I'm kinda tired."

"Care to talk about it?" the old master said.

Goku gave it some thought. The old master practically radiated wisdom, but how exactly he could explain all this... His eyes hardened, remembering he still had more to do before he could rest.

"Actuallly, master, there's something I have to do first."

"Piccolo?"

"Yeah. Promise me you'll keep an eye on Bulma for me?"

"Eh, why not. Gotta stay useful in my old age." Roshi mumbled, scratching his beard thoughtfully.

"Just keep an eye on her, nothing else, alright?" Goku said seriously, to which the old man hemmed and hawwed a bit, but didn't make any apparent promises. Goku smirked, shaking his head.

Goku turned to leap back onto his flying Nimbus; he still had Kami to talk to before the day was over.

Roshi watched his student go. As he did, he felt a strange premonition about the future of the world...

A chilling gust of wind rustled the many leafy fronds of the Lookout's garden; Tended to by Mr. Popo at all times, the beautifuly colored fauna of the Earth was a perrenial comfort to the aging Kami, who, due to the important nature of his position, seldom ventured to the realms below.

Kami leaned on the gnarled oaken staff he carried and sighed a quiet sigh into the winds. His gaunt and shriveled form was the discoloured yellow-green of his age, much like that of a wilting fern; But his eyes remained sharp, even violently so as he gazed down into the apparent nothingness of the twilit world.

"Strange goings on as usual, it seems." he said, a soft sigh of a voice hardly befitting his terrible expression.

A suddenly violent swirl of wind through the leaves startled the both of them as a dark presence quickly made itself known, landing sharply on the pristine tiles with a click. Kami's eyes widened in shock at the sudden appearance.

"Piccolo!" he gasped involuntarily. The creature before him smirked.

"You really are getting old, if I could sneak up on you like this." he said, flicking his now tattered cape back over one shoulder. His smirk tightened for a moment, revealing all his teeth. Kami frowned at the familiar gestures of intimidation he'd come to know over time.

"And no matter how many years go by, you never grow up, do you?" The guardian said, turning fully to meet him. His stance consciously mirrored his darker half, challenging him subtly. "You think you can frighten me with shows of force, demon?"

"Oh, you're about to be VERY afraid, Kami. Goku is right behind me."

Suddenly, the both of them turned as a rush of wind again washed over the lookout, this time accompanied by an unmistakable Ki. Once again heavy boots from the earth below landed on the pristine tiles of the lookout.

"PICCOLO!" shouted an unmistakable, and angry, voice.

Piccolo snapped his head towards the sound just as he heard it and saw Goku landing in a crouch, his power already flaring around him. Piccolo tensed instinctive as he felt the waves of power. He wasn't at full strength yet, and Goku was coming in fresh. If they fought now, he would be at a disadvantage.

That is, if he had been anywhere else._ Here, in front of Kami, you won't be able to unleash your full power. Your softheartedness will give me the upper hand. Looks like this will go according to plan after all._

"Son Goku. I knew you wouldn't waste any time in coming to exact revenge, but I wasn't sure youd be so foolish to follow me here."

"I don't want to hear another word out of you, Piccolo! Your number is up!"

With almost no warning the saiyan launched himself into a head-down sprint that almost caught his opponent off guard. Piccolo sidestepped the attempted shoulder strike and leaped to avoid the sweep that followed. Goku was quick to pursue him into the air, pulling him down by his cape and into a viciously executed headbutt that sent him reeling back as much in shock as in pain.

It was too early to let down his guard, however, and Goku, still grappling him by the end of his cape, launched several sloppy backhands at him without letting up. Sensing his time, Piccolo rolled with the blow and at the same time removed his cape, throwing it between them. Temporarily blinded, Piccolo's follow up kick took his opponent by surprise.

Goku tossed the abandoned cloth aside infrustration, blocking another snap kick as he did so, and returning with an identical kick of his own. Soon the two opponents were mirror images of eachother as they fought for dominance.

Kami watched in shock as the battle increased in intensity, shattering the stonework beneath their feet. He realized their speed blurred even to his eyes. "They're both far stronger than the last time they fought..."

_But what is this I feel from Goku? A viciousness that wasn't present before... Revenge?_

Goku let out a sharp yell as his fist slipped past Piccolo's block, capitalizing on the moment of stun to snap a forveful hook into his opponents ribcage. there was a distinct snap, but not the crunch he had hoped for. Piccolo quickly recovered, taking advantage of their close quarters to lock his arms over Goku's neck and blast him in the torso with his knee.

Goku gasped, not having expected this. Struggling to land a retaliatory blow, he found himself unable to find leverage at such closee range. By this time, Piccolo was fully laying into him with knee after knee. After a moment, Goku managed to intercept it with his own knee, and then pry himself loose.

Flipping back into a swift duck, he countered Piccolo's inneffective claw swipes and surprised him with a small Ki blast that glanced off his head, shaking him. He was forced back, but Goku didn't let up; Instead of engaging him directly, he stood his ground and unleashed a seemingly endless barrage of smaller blasts.

Piccolo snorted, effortlessly deflecting the first few, but then winced as he felt the heat singe him. These blasts were more balls of concentrated fire than they were Ki. He deflected several more, before realizing it would do little good and resorting to a barrier of his own Ki to demolish the attacks entirely. With a roar of contempt he pumped his energy through it until it expanded explosively, clearing out everything around him.

When the flames and debri cleared, he realized with a start that his opponent was not in the same place he'd expected. Just a moment too late, he snapped his attention upwards as Goku's flying kick smashed into, and _through _his shoulder. His scream came after a long moment of incomprehension, staring at the impossibly circular puncture made by the ball of his foot. The nerve endings and muscle tissue tore aside as the kick retracted, and all feeling vanished from that arm.

He snarled at the confident stare on his opponents face, knowing how much pain he had caused him. He thought the fight was over already.

"Filthy human! HOW DARE YOU?" he spat, releasing a blast straight from within his throat. If struck his enemy dead center, in his chest. This attack had once been enough to pierce through him entirely. Now, it merely knocked him back and burned him.

Goku's expression was now a feral snarl, as he immediately responded with a harsh stomp aimed for his knee.

Had he not been immobilized by shock, maybe he could have avoided it, but as he was muddled by rage and pain, the blow connected full force, driving him to the ground. He grit his teeth as the bones ground together unnaturally. Suddenly, the pain released, and Goku stepped back.

_What the hell is this? Son Goku never showed this kind of conviction when fighting me. It's like he's on a different level from back then._

_"Bastard...!" _he hissed. His voice came out gargled through the blood pooling in his mouth.

"It's over, Piccolo."

"Yeah, right ... It's all over now..." he said, raising his hand to point at him with two fingers. Goku's moment of confusion was all he needed, as he had already suffused with energy from his struggle.

"MAKANKO-SAPPO!"

The blast spiralled out, crackling in the ozone of the surrounding air and lancing forward with enough force to pierce almost anything, and crossing the distance between them in less than one thousandth of a second. Goku had no time to dodge at this distance, and the drill-like beam continued on into the horizon befor vanishing at the curve of the earth. Piccolo saw none of this over the blinding flash, but smirked in assurance of victory.

Then he blinked the flash out of his eyes. His stomach clenched in fear as he saw his enemy unharmed before him, even though it wasn't possible. And then, feeling the swelling in his head, and seeing a slight blur in his vision, he understood. The headbutt he recieved before had smollen above his eyes, distorting his vision.

"I missed." he said numbly. "I put everything I had into that blast."

"Holy shit, you're not kidding! That thing could have killed me!" Goku swore, a trickle of sweat running off his brow.

Piccolo groaned. _It should have killed you! Damn it, I should have known. His luck is just as inhuman as the rest of him..._

_It's all over for me..._

Piccolo panted for breath through teeth clenched in pain and humiliation. He let out a low growl as he built up his energy reserves, but faltered. He didn't have the energy to spare. Instead, he braced hismelf for what was about to come. Glancing up, his eyes widened in shock as he saw goku raise a hand charged with blue energy.

The blast struck his other arm, again prompting a cry of pain as it pierced the tissue and bone, effectively rendering it dead.

"Give it up Piccolo. You can't win against me in your condition." he heard Goku's voice through the ringing in his ears.

Piccolo scowled up at him, recognizing a face with no trace of smug satisfaction at having his enemy helpless before him. An innocent face, even twisted by rage. It made him sick to behold.

"You can't be serious, can you?" he said, forcing his voice not to shake. "How can something like you even exist... is beyond me."

The innocent face twisted again, in confusion. "What? What do you mean, 'something like me'?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." he grunted, spitting a black wad of blood onto the scorched tiles. "You're talking like you would even consider letting me go. Or have you forgotten your poor dead friend?"

"I haven't forgotten. But we can still fix this if you cooperate. Are you going to submit peacefully now, or force me to do something I'll regret?"

"Y-you think you can 'fix' this... peacefully? Are you insane or just this stupid naturally?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Piccolo. You should know by now which one of us is stronger, so give up your crazy plans to conquer earth already. You couldn't succed with that kind of strength, anyway."

"Why?" Piccolo snarled, ignoring the insult. "What reason could you have to show me mercy?"

Goku stared down at him with that look of pity he so hated, and shrugged. "I don't know. It's just... when I look at you like this, I don't feel like you deserve it. Anyways, if this course of action makes someone cry, I don't wan't any part of it."

"Wha... WHAT in all the hells!" Piccolo stammered, jaw dropping. "What nonsense is this? Are you saying you won't kill me because you'd feel GUILTY about it later!"

Gok frowned, shaking his head.

"Well, that's not the only reason, but... pretty much, yeah!"

He couldn't take a life like this. He couldn't harden his heart that much. What's more, he couldn't not wish back Yamcha; He couldn't ask that of Bulma. Here he'd been so sure he had no choice left, but

Kami chose now to step forward, laying a hand on Goku's shoulder, which tensed unconsciously at the touch. His energy was still racing from the fight.

"He won't listen to reason, Goku. And he has proven he will never change. Finish him now before this tragedy repeats itself! Do what I could not, Goku!"

Goku turned and seemed to notice Kami standing there for the first time. The rage melted off his face, replaced with confusion and some form of pity. "I can't do that and you know it, Kami. The earth is going to need the dragonballs soon. I can feel it."

"Nothing we can do can keep him contained against his will, Goku. Even the Evil Containment wave was broken. What would you suggest we do, if not slay him?"

"That's what I was thinking about while I was fighting. Is there a way we could restrict his movement without killing him or locking him up? And then I figured it out, and you gave me the answer, Kami."

"Really? You have me at a loss, I'm afraid," Kami blinked, perplexed. "But, please, share your wisdom with us, Goku."

"Wisdom? Me? I don't have any of that, but if you wanna hear my idea..." Goku said sheepishly, scratching his head. "Well... I figure what if we locked him in the room of spirit journeys? The one from my training?"

"That might just work..." Kami said thoughtfully. "Yes, that's a wonderful idea. And who knows, this training room that helped grant you peace of mind might do the same again, even for Piccolo."

"I wouldn't count on it, Son Goku." Piccolo spat furiously. "One way or another, I'll pay you back for this humiliation one-thousand-fold-!"

Piccolo fell to the ground with a soft thud as Goku pulled back his fist.

"Sleep for a while." Goku said smirkingly to Piccolo's unconcious body.

"I hope you're certain about this, Goku." Kami said, shaking his head at the scene before him, and wondering when it started to become such that the fate of the earth rested entirely on one human rather than its original Guardian.

"It'll work out for the best in the end. I hope you can handle this guy by yourself while I'm gone, Kami, he can be a handful!"

Kami's ears twitched at the words, and he turned curiously towards his former pupil with a look of exasperation.

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

"Oh that's right, I haven't told you yet. It turns out I'm actually not from this planet, so I'm gonna go meet my big brother in outer space so I can help him and his friends fight an unbelievably powerful ice monster." Goku explained hurriedly.

"Whoah, whoah! Easy there lad! What's all this about being going to space? You have a brother? I was under the impression you had no family."

"Yeah, it turns out I'm something called a 'Saiyan', and my people are warriors. Weird, I know, but I met this guy with a spaceship, and he had a tail just like me! Well, I don't have a tail anymore, but he does! And he's really strong, stronger than me even! I promised I'd meet up with him as soon as I figured out a way to deal with Piccolo."

"But Goku, think about the Earth! Surely you aren't just going to take the first spaceship on some wild chase. You can't simply abandon everything and-" he started, only to be cut off.

"Sorry, but I really do have to go, Kami. It's super important, I promise! Trust me on this, Kami. I'll be back!"

The wind sweeping over the now battle scarred lookout carried burnt leaves and the dust of shattered marble. Goku took off running for his nimbus cloud before Kami could object or even get a word in edgewise.

Another gust of wind and he was gone, headed who knows where. Kami leaned heavily on his staff, looking around at what remained of his garden.

"Some things never change. Goku is one of those things, it would seem." he sighed.

"If I may, sir?" the humble voice of Mr. Popo chimed in, "It seems as though Goku is incapable of listening to reason exept when it is delivered through shouting."

"How do you figure that, Mr. Popo?"

"Because, Kami, I have had the pleasure of meeting his fiancee."

Kami was silent in thought for a moment before he broke out into a chuckle.

"Hmm. A most astute line of reasoning, Mr. Popo. Now, if you would assist me in relocating our unwanted guest, I would be most grateful." he smirked.


	8. Chapter 8

**Human limitations, Chapter 8:**

Time passed without being remembered.

Piccolo woke up slowly, feeling absolutely nothing. It felt as though an impossibly long amount of time had passed, and he'd been dreaming of nothing. At first there was just a sensation of coldness, then slowly the clouds pushed their way out of his mind and gave way to other sensations. He felt the weight of his own body first, lying on his back. There was a damp, tickling feeling around his neck and ears. Grass, he realized tiredly, but thought no more of it. His thoughts moved along like a slug, focusing on one leaf at a time. Why was he here? He tried to remember, but all that came back was various sensations, not complete memories, like watching a movie with the sound off. Or as though the camera had been pointed the wrong way all along...

Then he remembered Goku, standing over him with his hand raised, and then he remembered-

Light.

Sitting up with a gasp he clutched his aching head, and then was compelled by sudden nausea to roll to one side in agony.

Pain. Almost as fresh as the moment it was inflicted, but only for a moment, was what woke him.

Something wide firm held him upright, and he dug his nails into it roughly, riding through what appeared to be an intense sensory overload spreading from deep in the back of his mind, rather than any physical pain. After a few moments, the pain subsided, and reson slowly returned.

Now that he was awake, his senses extended outwards in what was almost a complete panic, and his eyes darted about him trying to regain his bearing.

His eyes adjusted to the light that streamed around him, and he found himself in a completely secluded glade. Some very old forest he had no memory of whatsoever? It felt very bright, but after a moment everything was just a deep, suffused green. The light that had seemed so strong was now just a wispy streamer through the closely knit branches above. The thick tree trunk at his back bore a heavy scar from his panicking grip from just a moment ago.

"Where in Kami's name am I now?!" he groaned, between subsiding gasps. His voice had a muffled echo to it, as there were no other sounds to be heard around him.

He glanced up and around him, seeing little but an endless canopy of trees stretching up, winding only slightly after the sunlight that traveled through in patchy pathways. There was still no sound of any living creature, and so by instinct he stretched out his ki senses, searching. Still he couldn't sense any presence.

"What manner of sorcery is this?" he wondered aloud, feeling a returning unease in his stomach, but then he paused, ruminating over what he'd just said. _Sorcery... Now I remember, this is his doing. Kami... And Goku._

"This is an illusion." He spat, gathering his Ki to himself. "A spirit journey, meant to test my mental fortitude, and nothing more! They knew no magic could physically hold me, and they were too soft to finish me off in my weakened state! You both knew I could have killed him given the chance, so why continue to pester me with your pathetic idealism?"

He reached out with his senses, and he felt he could still feel Kami's familiar presence all around him. It made sense, in reality he must still be on the lookout after all. But the quiet around him was stifling, as though it were something unnervingly sacred.

A light red aura begain rising out of his skin as he raised his voice louder, with a furious scowl. "Once again, God himself defers to that monkey's judgement to pass _mercy _on then Demon King. And while my body sleeps, my mind wanders time and space two hundred years ago, is THAT your plan, Kami? Did you really think your other half couldn't find a way to escape from this pentagram I helped construct?!"

His frantic voice seemed to startle some flock of darkly feathered birds from their perches nearby, and they scattered haphazardly through the air. The sight amused him somewhat, and somehow the broken silence calmed his nerve as he continued, feeling the need now to let loose with every burning thought in his brain.

"Oh, but dear gullible Kami you will WISH you hadn't deffered judgement, hadn't imprisoned me again, once you learned the truth about your beloved disciple, Son Goku!"

The silence continued as Kami mind still did not respond in the empty forest.

"I didn't want to do it like this, you should know... I confess, _oh high and mighty_, my own arrogant pride got the better of me that time." he spat angrily. "I withheld this information from you as long as I could, delayed coming before you, only because I wanted to kill Goku in front of you, while you still thought he was innocent... While I could still feel justified in taking revenge..."

Piccolo swallowed dryly and licked his lips, a smirk forming despite now choosing the option he had relished least before.

"That city that was destroyed, the one I fled from. The death of Yamcha. That wasn't my work at all, any of it. Have I piqued your interest yet, Kami? You must know I'm not lying now, I couldn't possibly lie through telepathy, now could I? No, Goku has done something... something that he kept secret even from you, Kami... All to protect the one who was really responsible..."

There was no answer but silence. It was intensely frustrating being ignored when he wanted to gloat and insult him to his face.

"Am I talking to myself here?" He shouted incredulously in no direction in particular. "I _know _the telepathic link is still strong. Don't you dare hide your presence from me while I'm talking to you, you senile, disgusting... Aren't you going to read my mind?!"

Silence, both in the clearing and in his mind. Piccolo frowned, thoughtfully. _Could he really not be able to hear me in here?_

The almost reverent silence continued, taunting him with his own echoes. "I've had about enough of this."

He sucked in a slow and deep breath.

"**ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME, KAMIIII**!?"

Widening his stance slightly, he let out the brief yet ear shattering cry and the clearing around him shook violently in all directions as the ground itself started upheaving itself a chunk at a time. Just as abruptly, he allowed the flow of power to cease, and gathered his aura back within himself.

With a singlular movement almost like a twitch he leaped into the air with tremendous force. His body was suffering none of his previous wounds, and his power flowed easily around him as he spiraled upwards, shattering branches and limbs of impossibly tall trees without even touching them.

In mere seconds he could see the sun, and in the illusion he could feel it's tingling rays heating his skin, but his own Ki burned hotter as he continued to rise like a spacecraft, until the light faded and the air became thinner, and finally he slowed to a stop. This was above even the level of Kami's lookout, where no human designed craft would be able to function, and indeed no human would be able to breathe the atmosphere.

Piccolo had no such limits, and he knew it. Taking a deep breath, and smirking, he looked up at the illusion of distant stars. Raising his empty hands above him, he briefly closed his eyes and focused, drawing on the mystic energy of his mind. After a moment, a thin beam of light shaped like a triangle emerged from his forehead and slowly spun outwards. He opened his eyes.

He envisioned a five pointed star within a circle between the palm of his hands, the basis of the pendulum room. He looked deeper within and he could see the spectral vision of himself, lying on his back in the center in a fresh set of white clothes, and a glowing barrier around him cast by the swinging pendulum. Outside of there it was dark, but it only took a moment of searching for him to locate energy signatures. Kami himself, not far away within the palace. Sitting all alone on his throne of stones, dead to the world.

Asleep, in other words.

"Oh, Kami! YOU UNBELIEVABLE OLD FOOL!" He cackled, a fanged grimace spreading across his face. The stars offered no response, but Piccolo laughed wildly anyway, as though he was gloating before a soon to be defeated enemy. "From here in this room I can see EVERYTHING, bide my time and even make my plans against you, all thanks to the magic you yourself helped create so long ago. And meanwhile, it seems you CAN'T even sense my mind, time displaced as I am! How pathetic you look right now."

Kami seemed as unable to respond as the stars themselves. Slowly, Piccolo felt his rage ebb into a dull roar, looking at his lighter half's sleeping form, and his scowl softened somewhat.

"He's really sleeping." Piccolo muttered to himself in the disturbing silence. "He never really slept before. Is it that peaceful now that you can't hear my mind anymore, Kami? I almost envy you."

There wasn't really any point to this, he realized after a moment. After all the plotting, all the training, he'd been soundly beaten not once, but twice, by Goku as well as the newcomer... Raditz. He remembered vividly his overwhelming power, as well as his words to Goku while he hid his power and listened from a distance.

Freeza. The name carried with it a disturbing omen, Piccolo thought. A power like that would never be satisfied within its own territory... he knew that well enough. Enough to know it was a threat to him and the entire universe.

Stretching the bounds of his extrasensory perceptions to their limit, he scanned the planet rapidly, searching for any sign of Goku or his friends. Within range of the lookout, he could account for almost every one of them, but it was clear within minutes that Goku himself was nowhere to be found. Mr Popo was oddly enough on the other end of the planet; but he couldn't concern himself with the doings of that lesser Djin. All the power players were accounted for.

_So its true what I overheard. Then Goku really has left this planet, chasing after his brother. Some time must have passed, a day at the least, for that to happen... and for my wounds to fully regenerate. It should be a small matter to break free of this mental prison, slightly more difficult to subdue Kami without killing him, but with the added leverage of alien threat, I could surely convince him to see things MY way..._

He experimentally flexed all his mental energy against the confines of the pentagram, feeling it strain promisingly, but he was stopped, by some exterior force. It seemed Kami had spared no expense in restraining him, by mysticism or energy. He felt Kami stirring within the lookout, sensing his thoughts not clearly but getting the impression that he was now awake again. Piccolo snarled in frustration as Kami's golden power extended through space, and the barrier simply renewed itself. Kami's mouth moved slightly, but the words were silent to him; but he thought he saw a mocking smile on his lips.

Piccolo's smirk slowly transformed into a scowl.

"Have it your way, Kami. This false universe you've created can't last forever. All I need to do is DESTROY your pitiful illusions one at a time and there will be nothing holding me back anymore. Or have you gone senile and forgotten? There is nothing Kami can create that Piccolo cannot destroy-"

He turned smoothly in space, propelled by his Ki energy, and suddenly stopped, looking down at the illusionary planet he was hovering hundreds of miles above, a ball of ki building in his had fizzling out slowly as his eyes widened in confusion at the sight.

"What... What is this planet?" he said in utter disbelief.

An impossibly large expanse of emerald green ocean and scattered blue archipelago stretched out before him in a completely alien geography. This was not a view of Earth as he knew it. The colors were wrong, and he could tell now... the scope was wrong as well, it was at least twice as vast as earth. He looked back to the stars and saw something disturbing. Just visible over the planetary curve, In the distance was another sun, like a mirror to the one behind him; and further on and to the right was yet another sun, for a total of three stars in alignment with the planet.

_This is wrong. The Pendulum room- it's only supposed to show visions of the earth's distant past, isn't it? So why is this planet here instead of Earth? What could this possibly mean?_

Even as his mind raced, he began descending from the upper atmosphere as if by instinct. He couldn't leave yet, not when he'd just arrived- what was it that was drawing him to this place, and why hadn't he felt this way until a moment ago? He shook his head, more strange sensations radiating from somewhere in his mind, but he couldn't shake the clouds away yet. Something was preventing him from touching those memories. Only one word rose to the surface, and it left more questions than it could possibly answer.

"Na... Mek?" he thought aloud, turning over this strange word.

It wasn't a word he recalled ever hearing before. Nor did it resemble the memories he'd inherited from his sire. It was as clear to him as the memories he'd accrued in his ten years of life on earth since being incarnated from an egg with no clear thoughts except a desire for revenge.

The question remained, burning a hole in his mind for the answer, desperately. If this word 'Namek' was neither his sire's memory, nor Kami's memory...

Kami stirred in his throne, midly surprised at himself for falling asleep again rather than meditating. A disturbance from within the lookout had roused him, however, so he couldn't have been that far gone. Reaching out his mind towards the pendulum room, he checked Piccolo's mental state within the rather unique prison they had prepared to keep him alive. So far, he hadn't managed to find the exit. After all, it reqiured a sort of enlightened calmness that should be beyond Piccolo's current means to muster. The dent he had made so far through sheer effort was disturbing, however.

The elderly guardian tightened his grip on his gnarled staff and closed his eyes for a few moments, and soon the familiar gold light enveloped him as he called on the guardian's powers for his own use. With Piccolo immobilized, fighting with only his mind, Kami held the high ground quite easily. After a few moments of futile rage the other mind relinquished, sinking back into the energy field.

"It will take more than that, Piccolo. But keep trying if you feel you need to, it should help the lesson sink in more," he smirked, somewhat satisfied despite himself.

The idea to use the Pendulum Room's spirit journey on the unconscious Piccolo was a novel one, and much preferable to the hellish confines of a magic jar. He had trusted Goku's judgement so far, and he would continue to trust him until such time as Piccolo could be reformed.

Piccolo, reformed... Some might say it couldn't be done, but Goku had wisdom, despite his simpleness at times. Kami had often felt the new Piccolo was not as pure evil as he once had been. He didn't relish destruction like his predecessor did, instead lashing out because he had been hurt once.

Kami sighed to himself at his sentimentality. Despite not believing it himself at times, Kami still held out hope for the day when he could welcome him back, despite the disheartening turn the attacks today seemed to have shown.

It was calmer in Piccolo's mind now than it had been moments ago, but he still could not detect any clear thoughts. It was such an odd sensation of being alone that it had given him much time to rest and think about other matters. The first and foremost of those matters being his rash young apprentice, Son Goku.

To call him his apprentice would be a misnomer, but Kami still thought privately to himself that, given his inherent pure soul, there could be no mistake that he was the most suitable candidate to replace him as Earth's Guardian deity, in the event. Although he had repeatedly turned him down, he had still believed that his love for the planet would eventually trump his love for ordinary life, and he would join him.

However the most recent turn of events had greatly upset some of his preset notions of Goku.

Firstly, it seemed he was not human at all, but instead some kind of space alien, abandoned by his home planet. Some hours ago, from what he gathered with his powers of visions, Goku had enlisted the Fortuneteller Baba's help in finding his spaceship, and left the planet without another word in pursuit of other members of his race.

It had of course fallen to another one of his friends, Krillin, to inform his wife of his spur of the moment desicion. She did not take it well.

Nor should she, Kami thought to himself. This was indeed a disturbing turn even for Son Goku. Though he was always eager for battle, as he thought back to him hurriedly explaining the discovery of his elder brother, and of the people called Saiyans, he recalled with horror his description of them... 'Warriors', he had called them, in some kind of tremendous battle in the reaches of space. And their opponent, one that could truly be described as a monster of unbelievable power? Though the affairs of outer space were the business of other Guardians, the Kai even, he could not help but feel that perhaps he should soon entreat a higher power than his own for advice.

Kami gulped nervously.

Perhaps it was time to visit King Yemma again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Human limitations, Chapter Nine:**

Elsewhere, an indeterminate amount of time afterwards, a certain scarfaced bandit and a certain bipolar blonde bombshell were making headway across the dusty wasteland undetected. The mountains and foothills in the region of Gingertown long behind them, they had been riding in hot sunlight for at least an hour at the top speed the one wheeled vehicle could manage, which was pretty fast by normal standards, but felt agonizingly slow to Yamcha. The trip was filled with talk, as he filled Launch in on what details he could so far.

"So let me get this straight," Launch grumbled, swiping a blonde lock away from her eyes. "You think there was an alien invasion a few days ago..."

"Yes. That's as much as I know for sure."

"Listen, I'm not judging you or anything, I mean I lose track of where I am all the time but that's because I'm not always myself, so forgive me if I doubt your story."

"I was in some kind of underground bunker in the mountains. I don't know how much time passed since I was knocked out, and I didn't ask. I had other things on my mind at the time."

"Sure, I get it, if I had just woken up in some mad scientist's basement, I'd probably just take it in stride. Are you sure about all this?"

"Look, I'm not crazy, Launch, I'm telling you, Goku is from space!"

"I didn't say you were crazy. What, are you saying I'm crazy?"

"No, Launch, I keep telling you! I was _there_, I saw it happen. West City is in ruins, and that's why I need to get back there as fast as possible and check up on..." Yamcha trailed off mid sentence, mindful of who he was talking to.

"Check up on your girlfriend, you mean?" snorted Launch, glancing over her shoulder. Yamcha reddened slightly as he adjusted his grip around her waist.

"If we're being honest here, I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to see me ever again..." he sighed wistfully.

"I figured as much." Launch shot back over her shoulder.

Launch, being in full-on-aggression mode, had of course insisted on driving again. It wasn't so bad, she was pretty good with the strange one-wheeled device, and at her preferred speed they were again making mileage towards West City. The road southwards was nothing but packed dust on brownish-orange earth, a far cry from the decidious forestation further north.

"Are you sure this is the fastest road we can take?"

"Changing the subject, huh?" Launch snorted, taking her eyes off the road again. "I know what I'm doing! The old railway leads right through here, and we can follow that straight down the line. Besides, the highway would be just crawlin with coppers after that little stunt we pulled in Gingertown! Just try explaining that one!"

She was of course referring to the chaos of a burning, ransacked village, and the two dead bounty hunters trailing in the wake of an ex-bandit and a current convict.

"That wasn't our fault, it was too late by the time we got there!"

"They'd find a way to pin the blame on somebody! You know how cops are!"

Yamcha was silent for a moment, and then just sighed in frustration.

"And stop that."

Yamcha blinked. "Stop what?"

"That freakin' sighing. It's tickling my neck, so cut it out."

"S-sorry." Yamcha said, looking away.

"Yeah. I bet you're sorry, Scarface." She added a glare for emphasis, before she smirked and kicked the engine into overdrive.

Launch executed a smooth turn that launched their Cycle offroad and over a midsized gorge, landing on the other side without changing speed. Yamcha winced slightly at the heavy recoil on the vehicle's struts. The metallic clang of small rocks churning into the wheel well struck a quick staccato as they swerved slightly before ramping down further into the sparse desert foliage of the valley.

"We're getting closer. West City isn't all that far from here." Yamcha said, more to himself than to Launch; he knew the area a good deal better than she did, having spent a few years in this sandy stretch of land. Even if there had been some setbacks since he set out that morning, they were making good time. As long as nothing _else_ happened...

Yamcha's train of thought slammed to an abrupt halt as he picked up on the sound of multiple engines blasting against sand.

"What the hell?!" Launch braked sharply as a white-hot burst of steam limned a shallow arc in front of them, breaking into fire and smoke with a sound like a canon.

The ground rushed up fast as they lost balance, skidding dangerously. It was all he could do to put himself between her and a fatal impact between steel shrapnel and explosive concussion. Yamcha bit back a groan as he felt the bones in his shoulder grind together before they were both sent sprawling.

Pushing himself up to one knee, he glanced back. He paused, looking down at Launch; she groaned, rolling over to her side in unconsciousness. Her arms and legs were badly scraped and a small trickle of blood rolled down from a cut above her left eye were she'd hit her head during the fall. At least she was alive. But still, she was a normal human who'd been very close to that explosion, so naturally she was stunned...

The dull roaring in his ears slowly gave way to the more abrasive roar of gas-powered engines. In the stretch of time between the explosion and getting up off the ground, they'd been surrounded. Yamcha counted at least thirty-two, roaring around in a rough circle that kicked up a small dust storm.

"Who the hell are these idiots?" Yamcha spat, getting shakily to his knees.

Launch roused after a moment, coughing up dust and spitting. She pushed Yamcha off of her roughly after another moment and sat up. "Oh, no, not more of these psychos..."

Yamcha shot a glance at Launch questioningly. "You know these guys too?"

"Don't look at me. I had a bad run in with a few of these guys a few days back, they're real nutcases. They've been saying the world's going to end soon, that society is going to collapse and its going to be survival of the fittest."

"And when was that?"

"October the 12th, I think. Couple weeks ago actually." Launch said, checking her digital watch.

"Thats the day the spaceship landed in West City." Yamcha started, pausing in thought, and added darkly. "So its been weeks..."

The roaring crowd of motorcycles ran past them and converged some distance away. He could see the leader clearly now. It was almost comical how much he looked like something from a cheesy 80's movie. Everyone in the crowd was in a frenzy around this guy. He was wearing some weird hockey mask, and the rest of the gang was wearing all shredded leather and straps and such, with their hair styled up in crazy punk styles.

"Yamcha, be careful. That guy's a notorious killer."

"Don't worry about it, just stay behind me." Yamcha shot back quietly, stepping forward. He un-holstered his recently appropriated shotgun from his back and brandished it warningly. Some of the rough riders arrayed before him had small firearms, but it was mostly knives, clubs or improvised weapons like chains judging by the looks of them. On the other hand, their leader had a pretty high powered rocket launcher to reckon with, but he probably couldn't carry more than two or three rounds at a time. Unfortunately for them, they didn't know who they were messing with.

"All right, listen, you don't want any of this. I don't think you know what you're doing."

There was a maniacal laugh amongst the general uproar.

"Stuff it! You can't tell us what to do, dumb-ass!" the leader of them hollered, practically foaming at the mouth. "Hey, let us have the girl and maybe we won't hurt you too bad!"

Yamcha stiffened instinctively.

"Think about what you're doing for a second, you fools! Have you all lost your minds or what?!" he shouted back, trying to be heard over the din.

There was more raucous laughter after that, and it sounded insane more than anything else. Another voice rose over the crowd again, long enough to be heard.

"What does it matter anyways? The world is doomed anyways, so who gives a shit! Its King Piccolo all over again! Just look what happened in West City!"

Another missile curved towards them from above, but Yamcha simply raised his right hand and blasted it out of the sky. Seemingly undeterred, the group let out an animalistic howl as a few of the long line of motorcycles swerved and came roaring right at him. He dug in his heels as the front wheel and frame of the machine slammed into his chest in a wheelie obviously meant to be fatal for him, skidding back but managing to stay on his feet and in place. He grabbed hold of the wheel well with his mechanical hand and clenched hard, bracing it against his torso to halt its movement completely.

"Holy shit!" Launch swore loudly.

"Not yet." Yamcha smirked, pleased with the reaction despite the nature of the situation.

Then with a grunt he strained himself and lifted the motorcycle AND its rider off the ground, holding it all in place with his right hand, and holding his shotgun in his left hand in a clear warning that probably wasn't even needed.

The sound of bloodthirsty hollering went quiet. The engines roar cut down to a dull rumble in his ears. Only marginally taking note of the terrified human face behind the wheel mere feet before his own, he swung the whole thing around and let go with a harsh yell, sending some tons of metal parts flying roughly ten feet into the air.

"HOLY SHIT!" Launch practically squealed as she watched it fly.

There was a tense moment between then, and the loud crunch of metal against the parched was enough to break their fighting spirit, it seemed. The group that had dismounted, weapons in hand, took a hasty step back towards their bikes.

A stab of red light from his right hand, scorched to black metal by the brunt of the missile blast, lanced out, followed in quick succession by several more struck the ground between them and their vehicles, burning their rubber tires to a sludge.

"ALL RIGHT, LISTEN UP! FIRST ONE TO MOVE, DIES!" he shouted, holstering the gun which hadn't proved useful at all after all. His voice sounded surprisingly ragged to his own ears. Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush, or the cloying smoke and dust in the air that was making his blood boil and his lungs burn when he spoke.

"I've got your attention now?! Perfect! I'm only going to say this once, so-"

"SHIT! Yamcha!" Launch suddenly cut into his train of thought.

"Huh?" he turned suddenly, startled. He thought for a second the punk from before had snuck up behind them, but when he turned it was just Launch, staring at him. With a huge grin on her face. And a blush.

"Sorry, I couldn't hold it in! That was THE most bad-ass thing I've ever seen in my life."

"Uh, thanks I guess? Really? Wait, this isn't the time for this," Yamcha responded somewhat lamely.

"Yeah, yeah, absolutely right! Don't let me stop you."

There was a confused murmur from behind him as he turned around again, which shifted back to silence as he glared, and cleared his throat. "Alright! I'm only going to say this once, so listen to me!"

There was dead silence except for a loose tumbleweed rolling by, and he felt oddly self-conscious as the wind blew his cool trench coat. _Shit, I already said that part. Now I've lost my train of thought. Hope nobody noticed that._ He cleared his throat again and continued. "I heard one of you boneheads mention King Piccolo. I'm assuming you're referring to the incident TEN years ago, and not the one five years ago where he was defeated at the World Tournament. You all remember that?"

There were a few silent moments and glances were exchanged nervously.

"Alright, so I'm going to refresh your memories again. King Piccolo came back and destroyed a whole city. Mass panic and hysteria in the streets. I'm pretty sure some of you must have been doing this same shit back then, am I right? Well, what happened? Anyone?"

The silence was replaced with a low murmur from the crowd.

"Then let me remind you... again. He was defeated back then too, even though it didn't seem possible. I suggest you all think about what you've been doing, and turn yourselves in to the authorities."

Those words were enough for them. One at a time each one of them threw down their weapons and sat down on the ground , some of them putting their heads in their hands. All that remained was the most bloodthirsty, the one who was the leader.

"Fucking shit is this man, I can't believe this! Are you idiots really going to just pass up an opportunity for chaos like this? Just because he can shoot lasers, I can fucking do that If I want to! I thought you were hardcore like me, but you're just fucking normal pricks!" he spat incoherently. "Fuck it, if you won't I'll do it myself!"

The masked punk pulled a knife from his belt and staggered forward angrily and stopped about twenty feet away. "C'mon, lawman, make my day! I'll fuck your shit! I'll gouge out your skull! I'll do it man, don't think I wont!"

Yamcha raised an eyebrow, turning to Launch. "Is he okay in the head?"

Launch stared blankly for a brief moment before something seemed to click and she clapped her fist into her hand as if she just remembered something else.

"Right! Forgot to mention that part. He's crazy in the_ literal _sense. Like I said, he's crazy and violent, but its mostly all the drugs he took back in the sixties you know? He thinks he's in a movie, some shit like that."

"What the hell? Where did a guy like that get a rocket launcher?" Yamcha gaped.

"I don't know, where did the rest of them get the leather pants and hockey masks?" Launch snorted.


	10. Chapter 10

**Human Limitations , Chapter 10:**

Goku nervously sat in the spacepod, waiting for the door to close on him and for him to input the directions to the computer the way Raditz had shown him how. It had taken him a while to find the exact spot in the Pauzu Mountains where he'd landed all those years ago, but after that it was just a matter of cleaning out the accumulated grime from sitting out nature for so long. There was also a harness of some sort seemingly intended to hold a small child in the seat, complete with a little cradle made of some clear bubble material. He carefully scooped it out, pulling out the tubes connecting it and checked to make sure any holes in it. Surprisingly it seemed in perfect working condition. That was good, he thought. He could leave whenever he was ready.

"-Wake up Kakarot, complete your mission-" chimed a canned sounding voice as soon as he got the door open. Apparently the message had been playing nonstop for the past twenty years or so. it was starting to sound a bit worn out. Goku paused for a moment, thoughtfully, but shook his head and climbed inside.

Once he was in, it was simply a matter of getting comfortable in the incredibly cramped space. There was a keypad next to the window, exactly like the one that Raditz had shown him on his own pod. He carefully typed in the code, just as he'd been shown, and then the door slowly pulled itself shut and sealed. The rumbling sound it made as it started up was unexpected, but the vibration only lasted a minute before the ship lifted off and quickly begain accellerating upwards.

Suddenly there was an upbeat digital chirp. Goku jumped and looked around for the source and then found it just as quickly: the voice communicator he'd recieved from Bulma. Goku pushed another button on the number pad and the spacepod jolted to a stop, hovering in a low orbit. With the earth rotating slowly underneath him, he brought the communicator up and took a moment to breathe.

"...Hey, " he said awkwardly, pushing the button. "Is that you, Bulma?" Goku asked, although he was pretty sure who it was.

"-Go-u? Goku-an you hear me? Hello?! I was trying to find you earlier, I can barely hear you right now and your signal in going crazy! Goku, where are you right now?"

"Well I'm in orbit somewhere up here... In space, haha..."

"What? You're not even joking, are you? WHY are you in orbit? HOW are you in orbit?"

"It's a long story Bulma, but to but it briefly, its a family emergency." Goku laughed, scratching his head. "I found out some things about my past that you wouldn't believe."

"What? Like what?! Exactly why are you going to space now?"

"I have a brother, Bulma! An older brother, can you believe it? His name is Raditz! He has a tail just like I used to, he came all the way from space to ask for my help. He told me about my real father... about the Saiyans..."

"So you're just leaving?! Now, after this happened? No, you can't just do this, Goku! We- I need you here. And so does your wife! What about her?!"

"Bulma, I know can't make you understand, but he's been all alone this entire time. I can't say no, and I can't turn my back on him now. Something really big is going to happen, and I'm not sure what I can even do as I am now."

"What are you talking about, Goku?"

"My brother told me about the other Saiyans. Some of them are elite fighters, many times stronger than anything we've EVER faced. But even with all their power, theres an incredibly powerful guy, ten times stronger than that. His name is Freeza, and he takes over planets, killing all the inhabitants with his armies. And the Saiyans like me used to be his best soldiers."

"My god, Goku, is that even possible?"

"It makes sense though, doesn't it? If you think about it, I'm definitely not human, am I..." Goku added somewhat sadly.

"Goku, don't ever say that! You're human!" Bulma choked. Goku was glad he couldn't see what kind of face she was making, because he had a feeling it would make him feel worse.

"But I'm not, Bulma. I'm sorry."

"You're human to us, Goku!" a different voice cut in.

"Krillin? You're there too?" Goku said surprised.

"Yeah, I came here after Master Roshi. The Tien and Chiaotzu the are here too, but they're still out helping clean up the city and help those that needed to evacuate... Listen Goku, I heard everything you had to say, and I know you do what you think is right. I trust you that much. Just tell me one thing; You are coming back, right?"

Goku nodded, smiling. "Yeah, of course I am. As soon as I'm finished up here, I'm coming back. Then we'll have to have another reunion, just to make up for the last one turning out like this. now I wish I could take you guys with me, too."

Krillin laughed quietly. "Truth be told, I don't like it one bit Goku. I don't know what you're planning to do once you get to space, but I don't like the sound of those other Saiyans one bit."

Goku remembered what Raditz said before, about being in space, and about clearing entire planets. About the rebellion against Freeza. He got the feeling Raditz was scared just from talking about it with him. That more than anything was why he had to go right away, to the planet Raditz said to meet him on.

"I trust Raditz. I believe him when he says he's my brother. Thats enough for me." Goku said firmly, nodding his head. "But you're right about that. He's done some bad things, and so have the others. Everything about them screams danger, even to me. For some reason that just makes me more excited to see them up close."

"Guh, never mind your stupid machismo!" Bulma interjected once again wresting the communicator from Krillin. "Listen Goku, I happen to already have a dragonball with me right here. I know for a fact you didn't go through with killing Piccolo, so why did you say all that nonsense before about not using the Dragonballs? Thats what I want to know."

"Ah, man, that. At the time, I couldn't think of a way to stop him without killing him. But actually, it's fine after all. Bulma, when I went to Fortuneteller Baba to find my ship, I also followed up on something else. I sensed something strange, before I had been really sure Yamcha was toast, but then while I was fighting Piccolo at the lookout, I sensed just a glimmer of life energy. It was incredibly strong somehow!"

"Are you serious?" Bulma said, her voice trembling.

"I asked Baba to be sure, and since she owed me a favor, she told me Yamcha was alive, and that he'd been taken to some kind of medical facility somewhere out of town and was being cared for. So, you don't have to worry anymore."

The line was silent for a moment, and then Krillin picked it up.

"Goku? Bulma had to leave the room. I think she's going to try and find out where Yamcha's being treated. She was crying, but she looked really relieved." Krillin said. Goku could hear happiness in his voice.

"I'll bet she was." Goku smiled back. "Hey Krillin, if its not too much to ask, can you get them to hold off on using the dragonballs for a little bit? Not forever, just until everyone can get together. This trip is going to take some time, and I have a bad feeling you might need them a lot worse without me within a year."

"A year? Goku, how far away are you going anyway?"

Goku shrugged and gave the only real answer he could, the honest one. "I have no idea, but to get where I'm going takes about a month. It's pretty exciting though, isnt' it? See ya later, Krillin!"

Goku pushed the off button on the communicator, before pushing the go button on the numberpad. It probably wouldn't work anymore once he passed the sattelites he figured.

The ascencion kept building in speed as the pod began shaking almost violently until it breached the atmosphere at an odd angle and the computer kicked in and course corrected itself. Goku breathed a sigh of relief when it was over, and took a moment to count out his senzu beans.

After a moment or two of nothing happening, he leaned forward to try and get a better look out the darkened window of the pod door. There was nothing but stars whizzing by, not as fast as he expected. It didn't feel like he was moving that fast, but there was something incredibly exciting about travelling in space for the first time. Even more exciting was the promise of meeting the other Saiyans for the first time, but he wasn't sure what else to expect. They probably wouldn't exactly be as friendly towards him as Raditz was. And it would be different, being the weakest member of the group...

Raditz had promised him that once they got there, they would be going under the radar for some special training without the others, at a planet designed as a secret meeting place and base of operations. It was located only a month's flight away, whereas the others wouldn't get there for at least 9 months. That would give them some time to just train by themselves.

"-Hibernation mode engaged-" stated the garbled computer voice. Goku blinked, looking around as a white mist settled around him. He had been told about this part, but it had slipped his mind. At least he wouldn't get hungry during the boring part of the trip, but he was a bit worried about what raditz said, about slipping behind in power level. Hopefully it didn't last.

Goku got shivers just imagining training with somebody stronger than him, who was just like him. "I'm going to get stronger than you too, Raditz." he said, staring determinedly at the stars. Before long though it was too difficult to keep his eyes open and he slowly drifted off under the cool mist.

**Author's note:** This would be a longer chapter, I still have SO many more ideas to write down but I've been writing all night and I just wanna get this out while I'm on a roll, and while I can type ledgibly for that matter. I can't believe I just did three chapters at once.

**Next time** will be a super long chapter with more saiyans, more androids, more mysteries and a few answers you might not have expected to find on old planet namek.

Finally: **Thank you **to all the people who care about this fanfiction after so long. I'm back at last and it feels great to write again!


	11. Chapter 11

**Human Limitations, Chapter 11: **

_It was nearing the end of the day on the 12th, in the long aftermath of the attack on West City. Not long ago, Goku stopped by Capsule corporation for a last few words with Bulma, and to deliver Yamcha's scrap of cloth, disappearing shortly afterwards. The Z Fighters are faring as well as they can, with no news yet on whether Yamcha lives or dies, and hope is running low with no news._

_Time until Yamcha wakes up: 16 days_

The sun was just starting to fall over the city, appearing as nothing more than a smoky red haze casting deep shadows through the windows. Bulma briefs paced nervously in her laboratory, biting her thumb in an unconcious gesture of worry as she thought over everything. In adjacent room on the same floor, Master Roshi, Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu and Puar as well were all gathered around the large television set by the lounge window, watching steadily in a kind of morbid interest born out of nervousness. The local news was running a disaster warning program.

"-_And at nine o clock, all power cut out in west city block 8, when an explosion from an unknown source knocked down incoming power and railway lines. We've received no confirmation from the authorities on whether this was a terrorist action, or something else. Citizens are advised to avoid the area, as it is still dangerous. In blocks 9 through 15, police have moved in to control the situation of the rioters-"_

"Such chaos." Master Roshi ruminated, clenching his fists angrily. "I had hoped times like this would never come again. To think I would live to see Piccolo's darkness return again. Curse that Piccolo..."

"The crisis may be over for now, but they're terrified, and with good reason," Tien said, crossing his arms. A dark look passed over his face. " This whole day has been like something out of a nightmare for anyone who was alive even five or ten years ago. I don't want to imagine what it would be like if we were in their place."

"What do you mean if? We're in the same boat as the rest of them, without Goku's help, we couldn't do anything at all against Piccolo, now OR then." Krillin said somewhat wryly.

"You don't have to remind me." Tien shuddered. "I only hope Goku can stop him again... even if it does mean we can't wish them back, this can't go on forever."

"There are worse alternatives." Roshi said thoughtfully, wiping his glasses on his shirtfront. "At this point, I don't think the evil contaiment wave would work on him even we all held him down together."

Bulma sighed a bit shakily and walked into the room, not sitting down yet, but just looking around and pacing a few moments before giving up and flopping down onto a cushion next to Chaiotzu and Puar.

Puar looked like he was about to break down as well, but floated over to her side, offering her a pat on the shoulder with one tiny paw in an attempt at comforting her. Bulma pulled Puar into a tight hug.

The program went back to a helicopter camera showing the devastated area again. It was covered already on every major news network from multiple angles, and it seemed like it wasn't going to stop soon. Every one of them shuddered slightly. There was a large conical blast radius, obviously where a powerful attack was launched, but there were also two large craters in the ground, and exposed pipelines had started to leak water and gas into the street. Power lines sparked dangerously in the street, but the vast majority of the debris itself resembled more like molten glass than asphalt or concrete.

"I don't want to imagine what a blast like that would feel like." Krillin muttered.

"You'd probably die before you felt it." Tien responded quietly, gulping before he continued. "The tremendous heat needed to glass a city street would burn out all the nerve endings in an instant, even if the force didn't knock you unconcious."

"Stop it! Thats enough you guys," Puar squeaked suddenly. "Think for a moment about how the rest of us feel!"

The rest just nodded mutely in stunned agreement. Everyone in the room was feeling a bit pale and shaken at the moment.

"It's... It's alright, Puar." Bulma said unexpectedly, drawing a few odd looks.

"I've called all the major hospitals, and asked around at some of the smaller treatment centers nearby that might have picked him up. All the lines are busy, I can't even get an answer." she laughed, but it was empty.

"Bulma, I hate to say it, but there isn't much chance he survived that." Krillin said quietly."Especially after Goku found his clothes at the scene."

"He didn't find a body, just blood." Bulma frowned, clenching her fists tightly into her skirt. "It doesn't mean he's dead, it just means he got into a fight, okay?!"

Krillin paused, momentarily trying to be hopeful, but hung his head in the end. He couldn't make eye contact with her and just agree. "I guess that's possible."

Tien shook his head and stood up, looking like he was about to leave. "Don't encourage this kind of optimism, Krillin. If Goku said he's dead, he's still dead. You can't deny facts."

"Now hold on, how can you just say that?" Bulma shouted, standing up as well. "How are YOU so sure he couldn't still be alive?!"

Tien whirled around, glaring daggers with all three eyes. "Because I tried to fight Piccolo once. I fought Yamcha once, as well, and I was only trying to hurt him, not kill him. It might be time to give up and just accept things the way they turned out. You don't have to like it." he finished sadly, turning away.

"Huh? Hold on a moment, where are you going, Tien?" Krillin stood up, reaching after him.

"Out. I'm useless here, so I'm going to go see if anyone needs help moving rubble or wounded. I'm sure the rest of you can grieve on your own. Chiaotzu, lets go."

He walked briskly across the room and headed down the stairwell towards the lobby. Chiaotzu got up and quickly followed after him. Bulma stood stock still. All the blood seemed to drain out of her face as Tien walked out of the room. She suddenly started trembling and slowly sat back down.

"Hold on a moment Bulma, I'm gonna go talk to him for a minute. I'll be back. "Krillin sighed, following him out. Puar followed Krillin out. Roshi was left alone in the room, debating whether or not to follow the rest outside, or to face the awkward situation presented by the despondent girl in front of him.

"Bulma, uh, is there anything I can do for you? I mean..." he started awkwardly, coughing into his hand. "Get you something nice to drink to calm you down, maybe?"

Roshi glanced sideways on the couch, shaking his head.

"If you'd like to talk about this, I'm all ears. Or a good shoulder to cry on, if you need it." he offered, half smiling in a sad way. "I promised Goku I'd look after you, you know."

Bulma shook her head violently and clapped her hands over her ears, her blue hair whipping out crazily. She didn't even say anything except a choked moan of sorrow. Tears were trickling down her face as she sat, completely shutting out the world around her.

He sighed and put a withered hand on her shoulder. With his other hand, he tucked his sunglasses into the pocket of his colorful Hawaiian shirt once more, and turned her gently to get better eye contact for what he wanted to say. He gently pulled her hands off of her ears and down to her lap, and though she offered no resistance to the touching she kept her eyes down.

"Bulma... I understand how you feel, believe it or not." Master Roshi said quietly. "I've outlived too many of my own friends and loved ones. One of the downsides of being an old geezer like me, you understand?"

He patted her shoulder as he spoke. Bulma shivered, but didn't shrug off the hand or stop sobbing. Roshi paused, gave the shoulder a squeeze and let go, dropping his hands into his own lap.

"I just don't know what to do with myself if he actually is dead. I never got to say what I wanted to him," She finally cracked, wiping her eyes. Her throat was hoarse, and she talked with a quavering whisper.

Roshi furrowed his brow, watching her closely before he spoke. "This is about your breakup, isn't it?" he said, remembering her earlier conversation with Goku. "You don't seriously still blame yourself for all this? Just because he didn't come with you to meet the rest of us?"

Bulma paused. She took a deep breath, willing herself to stop shaking.

"I don't really know what I'm feeling right now I've never felt like this before. I feel like I'm losing my mind."

"That's understandable. We all have our own way of grieving the loss of our friends. Even Tien is grieving in his own way, you know."

Bulma nodded. "I know, I'm not that upset at him, really. I'm mad at Goku."

"At Goku?" Roshi echoed curiously.

"Do you know what he said to me on the phone earlier? He totally yelled at me, and he told me it would be better not to even think about using the dragonballs because they would just disappear if he had to kill Piccolo!"

"Well, the truth isn't always pretty," Master Roshi responded, "He didn't have much of a choice, did he? And you were pretty hard on him when he showed up here before."

"Yeah, I know, but I at least wanted to discuss our options!" she cried suddenly. "Goku was the one who made the decision to spare him before all on his own even though WE were all against it, so the least he could do was ask how the REST of us felt!"

She threw her hands up in frustration. She was starting to look and act more like her normal self the more frustrated she became.

"But OF COURSE, when I tried to TALK to him about it, he completely tuned me out! And then, he just started talking some nonsense about-"

Bulma frowned, suddenly trailing off with an odd look on her face, as though she had just realized something unusual.

"Actually," she said more quietly, "He sounded kinda weird towards the end of it. He started talking about that one time, five years ago."

"You mean the end of the Tournament, when he fought against Piccolo jr.?"

Bulma nodded. "Yeah. Do you remember Kami offering Goku his job as Earth's guardian back then?"

"I had almost forgotten that." Roshi nodded slowly. "Yes, that did happen, but Goku turned him down flat."

"I don't remember why, exactly, but Goku was talking almost _nostalgically_ about that time, and then he suddenly said he had to go and just hung up on me, completely out of nowhere!"

"Hmm... Now that _is_ unusual." Roshi murmured. "I wonder why he would bring that incident up at a time like this?"

"Thats not even the worst of it. He showed up after nearly an HOUR had passed with no explanation, before he'd even chased after Piccolo! Do you remember how he looked then? Covered in bits of hair and stuff?"

Roshi furrowed his brow in concentration. "Now that you mention it, at the time you did notice that he was oddly blood splattered himself. Very suspicious."

"I don't like it at all. He's keeping secrets from me all of a sudden."

"I think that's jumping a bit too far, Bulma! Goku is a good person, and he deserves your trust, especially after all the things he's done for us." Roshi said, trying not to get too heated at this strange accusation towards his student.

Bulma looked ashamed and fell silent after that, and Master Roshi fell silent as well. _At least she's not wallowing in a pit of depression... but now she's jumping at shadows. Not sure if I helped much or not or not._

The silence continued after that for nearly two minutes, until it started to become a bit uncomfortable even for Master Roshi, who was uncommonly used to people being uncomfortable. Before either of them could speculate further on the strange goings on, there was a loud electronic beep from the stairwell. Bulma turned to look as though startled, and then blinked rapidly.

"That was the front door. Uh, sorry, I'll see who it is-"

Bulma was only halfway out of her seat before there was a click of the doorknob turning, followed by the sound of the door opening from downstairs, then some muffled voices talking, then there was quick footsteps. Krillin poked his head around the corner.

"Krillin?" Bulma said. "I thought you were with Tien."

"He wasn't really in the mood to talk. I think he was pretty broken up about Yamcha, too. You'll never guess who I ran into out there on the way back, though." Krillin said, glancing behind him as the second person stepped into view.

Roshi and Bulma both stood up in surprise as Chichi walked into the room carrying a child in her arms of all things. Chichi bowed slightly as she saw them.

"Hello again, Bulma. And you too, Master Roshi." She added, smiling a bit bashfully. "And, while this isn't the way I would have preferred for you all to meet... Everyone, this is Gohan!"

Krillin simply snickered in amusement at the expressions of shock and awe on Bulma and Roshi's faces, having already been surprised once. The mother and son were dressed in beautifully ornate matching chinese style silk outfits, with a little silk cap for the child, which she took from him and placed into her bag before hanging her own sun hat on the lounge sofa.

Chichi put the boy on the ground and he stood awkwardly shifting and looking around, until at his mother's insistent prodding he did a polite little bow.

"H-hello everyone." he said in a tiny voice.

The rest of them bowed back a bit awkwardly, but the tension in the room was almost completely gone. Now that things had gotten off to a start it was at least a little more like the reunion they had been hoping for, if just slightly. For the moment they could forget their individual troubles and just laugh at something cute. Bulma snapped out of her state of shock almost immediately after that, and she got down on her knees and started cooing over Gohan.

Roshi laughed good-naturedly and slapped his knee. "So you decided to name him after his grandfather, eh? I'm sure he'd be proud! The boy looks just like his father did at his age."

"He does, doesn't he?" Chichi smiled proudly, blushing a bit. "I'm sure he'll grow up to be just as handsome!"

"So what brings you here?" Krillin asked. " I figured you'd be at home or waiting for Goku."

Chichi shrugged. "Goku stopped back at the house for a minute, but he rushed out again after dropping Gohan off. I was relieved when Goku came back home and told us he'd taken care of everything, but I decided I should stop in on you all anyway to see how you're doing."

"But where's Goku, then?" Bulma chimed in, looking up. "If he's taken care of everything already, why didn't he come with you?"

"I have no idea, honestly. He only stopped by long enough to talk and to collect some things, and then he headed out somewhere on the nimbus. All he said was it was really important and not to worry anymore. I was hoping I would find him here, I thought maybe he was helping out in the city."

"No, I haven't seen him since he went chasing after piccolo this morning." Bulma said shaking her head. "I'm glad he's alright, though. We've all been... out of sorts since this mess started." she added, glancing towards Roshi.

"I can relate to that sentiment." Chichi nodded.

"Hey there little fella. How old are you?" Bulma asked playfully.

Gohan thought for a moment and counted up on his fingers. "I'm four years old now!" he said, smiling proudly. Chichi gave him a pat on the head.

"Good counting, Gohan!" she said quietly encouraging him.

"Heheheh, you two only got married five years ago, I see you two got busy right away! And here I was thinking Goku never picked up on my other lessons." Roshi cackled loudly, causing Chichi to blush heavily.

"Exactly what lessons were those? I thought you taught martial arts." Chichi said calmly, though she kept a glare aimed at him as she spoke.

It was at that moment that Bulma noticed something that they hadn't noticed while she was carrying him, but probably should have noticed first. That is, they noticed a furry brown appendage coiling from the seat of his pants much like a monkey's tail.

"Oh wow, uh, he even has a tail... just like his father did, too!" Bulma stammered awkwardly, causing the others to take notice.

Bulma, Roshi and Krillin all went a bit pale once more, flashing back to one or two incidents respectively when they each learned of Goku's unique... condition.

"I hope he hasn't caused too much trouble for you with that." Krillin muttered to Chichi.

"Especially on full moon nights..." Roshi added crypticly.

"Um, no? I'm not know what you mean, but he always goes to bed early." Chichi smiled politely, privately confused at their reactions. Gohan clung to the hem of his mother's dress and tried to hide.

At that moment Krillin and Master Roshi were looking at eachother as if trying to decide whether to warn her about it, when suddenly there was another distraction, this time from the television set, as the silence of the live feed and scrolling emergency ticker tape gave way to breaking news.

"-_This just in: I'm recieving word that a Mr. G of west city, who chose to remain an anonymous tipper, has sent the first footage from the scene just after it began! It appears to be shot from an ametuer digital camera. We're about to take a look at that recording now to verify its contents, and afterwards it will be airing on all networks-"_

_"_What?! Are they serious?" Roshi exclaimed.

_"_If they play that video, everyone who remembers the King Piccolo disaster is going to flip their lid!" Krillin leaped to his feet. "Oh, no. Theres gonna be even more rioting than before!"

"Yes, that's just what I was worried about." Roshi nodded, staring intently. "But we're too late to do anything about it, except watch it unfold."

"-_I repeat, the content you are about to see may be traumatizing to minors. If you have children with you, instruct them to look away now-"_

"You heard him, cover your eyes," Chichi said softly to her son.

The scene was set. Immediately the tension in the room was back again, as the screen briefly cut to black and then to a shaky, grainy camera image positioned somewhere above the wreckage, possibly from a building nearby. The lens briefly distorted as it zoomed in several times on the scene below, and two figures resolved into vision through the enlarged pixels.

"There's Piccolo... But who is that he's fighting?" Krillin said, leaning closer.

Indeed, Piccolo had thrown aside his cape and hood and was grappling with someone they had never seen before. He was almost as tall as Piccolo himself, with long shaggy hair, and a very muscular physique. He was wearing some kind of metallic armor with large shoulder and leg guards, boots and gauntlets which left the rest of his skin exposed. He already looked like he had seen a heavy resistance already, judging by the damaged condition of his armor and the blood running heavily down his face and nose. The fight itself was too fast paced for an ordinary camera to pick up on, but a few moments were clear, such as Piccolo's face as he licked the blood off of his fingertips.

"Ugh..." Bulma shuddered, along with Chichi and everyone else in the room. It went without saying Piccolo's behavior gave them all the creeps, but they continued watching intently.

The newcomer fought hard against him, and even appeared to gain the upper hand at one moment. The two of them had fought back and forth through the wreckage, even pushing eachother through bits of walls, when he caught him off guard with a kick and pinned him against the wall with his foot against his neck.

"Whoah!" Krillin exclaimed suddenly, unable to contain himself. "I didn't think I'd ever see THAT!"

Gohan started to peek surreptitiously from behind his mother's hands.

As soon as the upper hand lasted, it ended when Piccolo twisted his foot around and made a break for it, apparently fleeing. A mere second later, The reason why became clear as Goku entered the frame from above.

"Daddy is there!" Gohan suddenly shouted, startling everyone.

"Gohan, you weren't supposed to look!" Chichi scolded helplessly.

"It should be fine, the fight looks like its over..." Roshi said, still watching intently.

Everyone watched intently together now, as the stranger turned to Goku and they started talking. Goku briefly turned and picked something off the ground, turning to say something, but it was too far away and muffled by other noise to hope to hear what was being said. They seemed to talk for a moment, and then two strange things happened. First, the stranger reached over and said something to him while patting him on the back.

And secondly his tail uncoiled from around his waist and showed fully on the camera.

There was a collective gasp in the room as that happened, and everyone sat silently trying to figure out what had just happened.

"What on earth?" Bulma spoke first. "He has a tail, too? How is this possible?"

"He's acting awfully familiar with Goku. Perhaps he's some warrior from far away come to visit, one that Goku never mentioned." Roshi commented, stroking his beard.

"That still doesn't explain the tail!" Bulma shot back, perplexed, and a bit horrified. "You guys, is it just me or does he look like Goku?"

There was a stunned silence as they all considered.

The tape continued running, and in a few minutes it showed the stranger talking, gesturing and laughing with him before turning and flying off, stopping momemntarily as Goku grabbed his hair rudely. After he was gone, there was a brief moment where Goku dug around in his pocket, and the next few minutes were of him speaking into a headset microphone.

"Thats when he called me to deliver the news." Bulma realized with a start. "He didn't mention any of this to me back then at all! What are you thinking, Goku?!"

Moments later the tape would play out the scene of Goku and the stranger devouring a meal of freshly killed wolf meat over a fire set with an energy blast. After they set in on the food, ripping the burnt skin off, the TV studio had apparently had enough and turned off the video, returning to the anouncer and some guest commentators trying to make sense of what they'd just seen.

Bulma couldn't get the images out of her head, however.

"They're exactly alike..." she whispered, remembering the first time she'd seen Goku eat in the wild.

"Daddy! I want to see daddy!" Gohan wailed.

"Shh, calm down Gohan..." Chichi hushed him, grabbing hold of him again.

Gohan continued his crying and squirming uncontrollably and utterly inconsolable, and in the commotion he managed to spill the contents of his mother's purse over the coffee table with a loud clatter and a heavy thunk that managed to tear everyone's attention away from the screen. The hat which Chichi had casually placed into the bag when she took off her own, had spilled out of the bag and landed on the table with a much heavier sound than any silk cap and any right to make. The source of the sound was the ball decoration on the top, about the size of a tangerine and perfectly orange, except for four crimson stars floating in the center.

Bulma's mouth went dry, and her heart thumped wildly as she looked at it, involuntarily covering her mouth with her hands from being startled. Chichi was about to collect it along with the other items she had spilled.

"Is that a dragonball on his hat?" Bulma asked suddenly. "Is that a real one, I mean?"

"Y-yes, it is. It's the four star that Goku's grandfather Gohan left to him as a keepsake. We both thought it was appropriate to pass it on..."

Bulma stood up suddenly, nearly overturning the small coffee table before she could finish and turned to the others with a horrified look on her face, seeming to struggle for the words she wanted to say.

"You guys, do you all realize this means Goku hasn't killed Piccolo yet?!"

"What? How is that possible?" Roshi gasped, almost losing his balance and catching himself on the couch.

"She's right!" Krillin exclaimed, "If he had, then the Dragonballs would be useless stone balls right now!"

"I don't understand, he told me when he got home he took care of Piccolo!" Chichi said, voice quivering as she held Gohan.

"I don't understand either, but I'm getting to the bottom of this!" she said, eyes widening even more as she pushed past Roshi and Krillin to the laboratory, leaving Chichi and a still crying Gohan in her wake.

Bulma found the wireless communicator where she had left it in the lab and speed-dialed the number of the device she'd given Goku earlier that day to stay in touch. It almost immediately dropped the signal each time she tried to call, so after a few tries, she found her father's satellite phone and tried dialing the number with that, and it connected after a few rings. There was a rough patch of static as the button was pushed on the other line, and a heavily garbled voice came through, very quiet as though the signal was incredibly far away.

"-_hey_-" came the first word of the faint voice, sounding casual. "-_s that you Bulma_?-"

The sound kept breaking in and out, making some words harder to discern than others, but Bulma sighed in relief for the moment to even be hearing his voice.

"Goku! Goku? Can you hear me? Hello?!" She shouted, before giving up on that and continuing. "I was trying to find you earlier, I can barely hear you right now and your signal is going crazy! Goku, where are you right now?"

There was a pause and more static before the answer came.

"-_Well, I'm in orbit somewhere up here_... _In space," _he said, followed by a short laugh. Bulma gaped.

"What? You're not even joking, are you?" she asked dumbfoundedly. No response but static. He didn't sound like he was joking either. There were too many questions going through her head "WHY are you in orbit? HOW are you in orbit?"

There was another short, soft laugh filled with static.

Krillin had followed into the room at this point, already listening in to the conversation that Bulma had had to crank up the speaker volume for. At the moment, Roshi was occupied with Chichi in the other room, seeming to have fallen into a faint some moments ago, upon happening to overhear Goku's space message.

Bulma was silent, her brow furrowed trying to focus enough to take in everything going on. And finding herself unable to.

"-_Its... a long story Bulma, but to put it briefly, its a family emergency... I found out some things about my past you wouldn't believe."_

"What?" she started pacing back and forth as she talked."...Like _**what**_**?! **Exactly_**why**_are you going to space now?" Bulma screeched at him through the interface, making Krillin wince and plug his ears.

"-_I have a brother, Bulma!-" _Goku's voice said, sounding clearly overjoyed even through the terrible transmission quality. Bulma and Krillin looked at eachother, their faces mirroring eachother's shock as they both remembered the video footage that had just been released on the news.

"-_An older brother, can you believe it?-"_ Goku's voice continued, breaking their silence again. "-_His name is Raditz. He has a tail just like I used to... He came all the way from space to ask for my help.-"_

"Goku is an alien?" Krillin repeated to himself, seemingly in shock. Part of him was completely unable to believe that, but somehow it made more sense than any explanation he could have come up with on his own.

Bulma quickly raised a hand and shushed him with a stern look, before turning her full attention back to the conversation.

Bulma, meanwhile, still felt a strong sense of denial even through the building revelations.

"- _He told me about my real father... about the Saiyans...-"_

Bulma snapped out of her shock and interrupted him. "So- you're just leaving?! Now, after this happened? No, you can't just _do this, _Goku! We- I need you here. And so does your wife! What about _her!?_" she said hurriedly, grabbing the phone with both hands intently.

"-_Bulma, I know I can't make you understand- but he's been all alone this entire time. - can't say no, and - can't turn my back on him now. Something really big is going to happen, and I'm not sure what I can even do as I am now."_

Bulma shook her head and huffed, exasperated at the indirectness of their conversation.

"What are you talking about, Goku?"

"-_My brother told me about the other Saiyans. Some of them are elite fighters, many times stronger than anything we've -EVER- faced-"_ he said emphatically. _"-But even with all their power, theres an incredibly powerful guy, ten times stronger than that. His name... Is Freeza... and he takes over planets, killing all the inhabitants with his armies- and the Saiyans like me used to be his best soldiers...-_"

The voice on the other end trailed off there.

"My god, Goku, is that even possible?"

"-_It makes sense though, doesn't it? If you think about it, I'm definately not human, am I..."_

"Goku, don't ever say that! You're human!" Bulma responded immediately, almost looking as angry as sad at that instant.

"-_I'm not, Bulma. I'm sorry.-" _he responded immediately. He sounded almost bizarrely at peace with the idea, Bulma mused.

Krillin snatched the phone from her without warning using his superior strength and speed, suddenly feeling the need to speak to Goku.

"You're human to us, Goku!" he shouted. Bulma looked at him sharply, but huffed and turned on her heel, letting him have the phone for the momement.

There was another brief pause, followed by a surprised, "-_Krillin? You're there too?"_

"Yeah," Krillin nodded, smiling a bit. Goku was his oldest friend, too. "I came here after Master Roshi... Tien and Chiaotzu are here too, but they're still out helping clean up the city and help those that need to evacuate." he added.

"Listen Goku, I heard everything you had to say, and I know you do what you think is right. I trust you that much. Just tell me one thing: You _are_ coming back, right?"

There was only a very brief pause before the answer this time. "-_Yeah, of course I am! As soon as I'm finished up here, I'm coming back. Then we'll have to have another reunion, just to make up for the last one turning out like this... now I wish I could take you guys with me, too."_

Krillin let out a nervous laugh.

"...Truth be told, I don't like it one bit Goku. I don't know what you're planning to do once you get to space, but I don't like the sound of those other Saiyans one bit."

There was a long pause, longer than before, before the response, but there was unshakable determination in his voice now. _"-I trust Raditz. I believe him when he says he's my brother. Thats enough for me... But you're right about that. He's done some bad things, and so have the others -Everything about them screams danger, even to me. For some reason that just makes me more excited to see them up close...-"_

"Guh, never mind your stupid machismo!" Bulma interjected once again, wresting the communicator from Krillin after a moments resistance. "Listen Goku, I happen to already have a dragonball with me right here. I know for a fact you didn't go through with killing Piccolo, so why did you say all that nonsense before about not using the Dragonballs? Thats what I want to know."

Goku let out a surprised laugh at being interrupted.

Bulma continued to stare down the phone in the seconds pause it took for the transmission to follow through, as though trying to stare down the man himself.

_"-Ah, man, that. At the time, I couldn't think of a way to stop him without killing him. But actually, it's fine after all. Bulma, when I went to Fortuneteller Baba to find my ship, I also followed up on something else. I sensed something strange, before I had been really sure Yamcha was toast, but then while I was fighting Piccolo at the lookout, I sensed just a glimmer of life energy. It was incredibly strong somehow!-"_

Bulma almost dropped the phone then, but managed to hold onto it with trembling fingers. "Are you serious?" she asked. Her voice cracked somewhat.

_"-I asked Baba to be sure, and since she owed me a favor, she told me Yamcha was alive, and that he'd been taken to some kind of medical facility somewhere out of town and was being cared for. So, you don't have to worry anymore.-" _

Krillin jumped somewhat, as Bulma suddenly covered the receiver with her hand and turned towards him. There was a strange glint in her eye he didn't know what to make of, but she seemed to be burning with more energy than she'd had all day, and she had a disturbingly huge grin. It was a complete one-eighty of her previous mood.

"Krillin, what do you make of all this?" she suddenly whispered, her voice lowering to a rasp as she started talking very quickly. She glanced through the open door. Master Roshi glanced up and met her eye from where he sat on the floor, fanning a fainted Chichi with a concerned look on his face.

Krillin backed off a step, raising his hands defensively. "Uh, Bulma, this is all moving too fast for me! You've been out of it this whole afternoon, and I'm starting to think the stress of today is going to your head..."

"You're free to think what you want, but think on what I'm saying first!" she hissed back, moving between the two of them and the doors with conspiratorial glance. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"If Goku says he's alive, Yamcha must be alive, right? Great! Problem solved. But we've got other things to worry about right now. Namely, Goku is about to ditch all of us to go chase after space monsters. Do you want to wait around in relative safety and just hope he's coming back, or are we going to do something really crazy?"

Krillin blinked sharply in confusion, before the meaning sunk in and he couldn't stop himself from half smiling. "You have a plan?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Bulma smirked back, giving a confident thumbs up.

"I must be crazy for agreeing with you on this," Krillin sighed.

"Good. Here." Bulma said quickly, extending her hands with the phone. "Take the call, make an excuse for me, and keep him talking for at least a minute longer if you can."

"What? What do you want me to say?!"

"Whatever is fine, just improvise!" she said, practically leaping onto a computer chair in her haste to get where she was going. "Just keep him on the line for little bit longer!"

With the communicator shoved into his hand so suddenly, it took Krillin a few seconds to regain his composure as Bulma suddenly rushed over to the laboratory's enormous main computer console that looked like something from an old sci-fi flick and started rapidly inputting some code he couldn't make sense of at all. Without a moment's hesitation. she continued typing with a furious concentration that she only showed when she was determined not to lose, opening different programs one after another, using everything at her disposal.

"Goku? Bulma had to leave the room. I think she's going to try and find out where Yamcha's being treated. She was crying, but she looked really relieved." Krillin said, eyes shifting to look uncomfortably in Bulma's direction.

_"I'll bet she was. Hey Krillin, if its not too much to ask, can you get them to hold off on using the dragonballs for a little bit? Not forever, just until everyone can get together. This trip is going to take some time, and I have a bad feeling you might need them a lot worse without me within a year.-"_

"A year?" Krillin stammered, jaw dropping.

A wire-frame image of a satellite sprang to life on the screen with a flash, followed by several more schematics in the upper right that appeared to be image scans. With the push of a few more keys she had locked onto a tiny object in a single square of a grid hundreds of miles away.

"Goku, how far away are you going anyway?"

Tiny pinpoints of lines converged on the location, slowly resolving into a three dimensional image of a sphere.

_"-I have no idea, but to get where I'm going takes about a month. It's pretty exciting though, isn't' it? See ya later, Krillin!"_

"Goku, hold on a second!" Krillin shouted.

The static burst cut in before Krillin could stop him, and the line went dead. There was a loud beep and a hum from the computer console, as one of the dots on the grid flashed and dissapeared completely.

Krillin stared at the phone in disbelief. "He hung up on me."

Bulma fell back into her chair with a sigh, and looked back over her shoulder with a triumphant grin. "It's alright Krillin, I got what I needed. Take a look at this!"

Krillin turned around and ran over to the screen, where Bulma was gesturing to a wire-frame image superimposed over another grid of some kind. The background was made up of green lines arranged like a game-board, with a large blue circle with a red line making a loose oval around it every few seconds. Rapidly flashing numbers lined the whole left side of the screen in an extremely disorienting display.

"What exactly am I looking at, Bulma?" Krillin mumbled, not sure what she was pointing out.

"The Capsule Corp satellites, duh! These babies were launched as science probes to monitor for incoming space rocks. Fully equipped to calculate trajectory of any unearthly objects!" she grinned some more, wiping a bead of sweat off her brow. "All I had to do was write a new program. Now we're tracking movement starting from Goku's last communicator signal. I just traced the call and found him with an auxilliary GPS sattelite, and the rest was simple rocket science, baby!"

Bulma pumped a fist in the air triumphantly while the midget monk stared in awe at the use of the old idiom about rocket science being used in that context.

"Are you saying you can track Goku through space with this?" he said, eyes wide.

"Well, yeah. More or less." Bulma smirked proudly, kicking her feet up onto the side of the console table."Now that I've 'tagged' his ship, we should be able to plan out his trajectory ahead of time. He said he'd reach his destination in a month. If thats true and we're lucky, then we'll know at least a few days to a week before he gets there."

Krillin shook his head dumbfoundedly as Bulma laughed proudly. "That was some quick planning, Bulma! You really are on a whole other level from the rest of us." Krillin said with a laugh, sitting down in another chair.

"Well yeah, I mean I AM a genius..." She said smugly. "Goku thinks he can take care of everything on his own, which is why he goes rushing off headfirst, as usual. If he thinks he can run off on some crazy adventure without me, he's got another thing coming."

"I'm not sure I share the sentiment, Bulma." Master Roshi said, stepping in. The two of them looked over, not having noticed his entry amidst all the excitement.

"It had never occurred to me that there could be a force out there stronger than Piccolo or Kami. Whatever monster Goku is off chasing is supposedly even more powerful than that. If even half of what Goku said turns out to be for real, then we're in for hard times indeed." Roshi said ponderously. "Perhaps he was right about us needing the dragonballs much worse soon, as well."

Krillin gulped nervously. Bulma looked skeptical.

"You guys always say that stuff, but Goku's never failed before. Wasn't it you who said we should trust him?" Bulma asked, quirking a slender eyebrow.

A loud and rapid series of beeps from the computer caught both of their attentions again.

"Whats that?" Krillin asked, leaning forward.

"It's moving again." Bulma said, leaning in as well. " The spaceship is moving faster than anything the sattelite has ever recorded, it can only track the wake of the ship. It's faster than light travel... My god..."

"Faster than light? Then, when Goku said that where he was going would take a month to reach..." Krillin gaped.

"A month to reach at faster than light speed..." Bulma slumped back in her chair. "All we can do is track his ship and watch him go. We can't possibly catch up to him with out current technology."

Bulma put her head in her hands with a frustrated sigh.

"At least we can see where he is. Thats better than nothing." Krillin said. "Cant we still send calls to him once he reaches his destination?"

"It's not like we'll be able to communicate. Any transmission sent that far would take months to reach him, unless we found some way to send messages faster than light, and I don't think that's even theoretically possible."

"I thought faster than light was impossible too." Krillin murmured.

"You've got a good point..." Bulma sighed again.

The red dot on the screen continued buzzing off across the screen at high speed, but the computer simply beeped once, and the green line of the sattelite scan continued to track it smoothly across space, as the earthlings watched and tried to think of what to do next...

Chichi woke from her faint with a start, sitting up and looking around. Master Roshi had moved her onto the sitting room couch mere minutes ago after she passed out, where she had sat completely unresponsive even as little Gohan shook her arm. Finally she seemed to be rousing.

"Huh? Gohan?" Chichi murmured. "What happened?"

"Mama! You're okay!" Gohan sniffled happily, even as huge tears rolled down his face. Chichi scooped him up in a loving hug. "Mister Roshi said that you were just unconscioused, but I thought you were dead for real when you didn't get up!"

"Its alright, Gohan, mama's here! Everything is fine..." she cooed, patting his head. "I was just sleepy, thats all. Mama was just having a bad dream because of the scary things on TV..."

"A bad dream? Then you didn't fall over because you of daddy?" Gohan said, wiping his tears on her shirtfront.

"Because of your father? Why would I do a thing like that?" Chichi asked, wiping his nose.

Gohan sniffled. "I don't know, Mister Roshi and Bulma were talking about something earlier..."

The others looked at eachother nervously.

"She blacked out and forgot what happened?" Bulma exclaimed numbly.

"Oh dear. This is going to be a tough one to explain." Roshi gulped.

"Who's going to be the one to tell her?" Krillin asked, sweating a little.

Bulma quickly turned back to looking at the screen and picked up a nearby clipboard and started scribbling at random. "Not it! This is, uh, a scientific event that needs monitoring! ...yeah" she added lamely.

Roshi shook his head. "Women. Fine then, if a man has to buck up his courage and face the wrath, so be it..."

"Master Roshi!" Krillin smiled gratefully, eyes sparkling.

"Who better than my favorite student?" Roshi said, and patted Krillin on the back. Then, he shoved his student through the door. "Just remember your training, boy! You'll be just fine." he smiled toothlessly, stroking his beard.

"...huh?" Krillin glanced over his shoulder in disbelief, then turned and shakily walked through the door to have a few words with Chichi. What words followed was too muffled and nervously quiet to overhear.

Bulma glanced up and put the clipboard away again. "She's totally going to kill the messenger and you know it."

"Well, she is Ox King's daughter after all." Roshi shrugged. "Always boiling under the surface. He'll be fine, though. Probably."

"GOKU!"

Bulma and Roshi flinched as the room seemed to shake from the increase in volume. Gohan suddenly found himself plopped on the seat cushion by himself as his mother stood up stock-still with her mouth and eyes wide open for a brief moment, before she clenched her fists and ran to the door to the computer lab. Krillin was shoved aside roughly with a yelp.

"GOKU!" She shrieked, running to the control panel at full steam. Without missing a beat she scooped up the communicator and held down the button to speak.

YOU ARE NOT LEAVING US TO GO TO SPACE! YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS A FAMILIY MAN AND I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS CHILDISH BEHAVIOR! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Bulma coughed nervously. "Sorry, Chichi, but you won't be able to reach him right now. He's already moving through space."

"Don't be ridiculous! You were just talking to him a second ago! GOKU! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME SO PICK UP!" she continued.

"No, you don't understand. At this distance he won't hear your message for weeks, and he keeps going further out of range. When he gets that message, if he gets it, it'll be too late to even do anything about it!" Bulma stood up from her chair and gently pried the controls away from her.

Chichi froze once again in the middle of a deep breath, about to start ranting at full steam again. Instead she seemed to hyperventilate for a few moments, before flopping limply to the ground again, only to be caught by Master Roshi before she risked a concussion.

"She's out cold again." Roshi turned to Bulma, uncertainly carrying her limp body.

"Jeez, her lung capacity must be something else." she said, taking her fingers out of her ears finally.

"Her muscles are something else, thats what. Did you see how she shoved me? What a temper," Krillin shook his head, walking back into the room after her.

"Maybe we should move her somewhere quiet and just let her sleep it off, instead of trying to wake her up again?" Bulma suggested nervously.

Krillin and Roshi nodded.

"Right. Krillin, you take the legs, I'll take the arms." Roshi grunted, picking up his end of the unconcious housewife. Krillin followed suit, but paused.

"Uh, Master Roshi, thats not her arms you're grabbing. You're supposed to grab under the armpits, not on the..."

"Eh? Don't be silly, Krillin, I'm just trying to get a good grope- I mean GRIP! A good grip on her gams - I mean, ARMS..." Roshi interrupted awkwardly, shifting his hands up quickly. "Got to have a good grip. Don't want our fingers to slip and drop her again, do we?"

"Right..." Krillin intoned sarcastically.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, far away from this familiar scene, in a place somehow out of synch with the constraints of normal space and time, Piccolo descended above an ancient planet he had never seen with his own eyes, yet somehow instinctively remembered.<p>

Mustering his will to remain calm and detatched, Piccolo glided past the clouds and hovered slowly, surveying the landscape. Just past the old forest where he'd found himself, there little else but sparsely covered flatlands rolling foothils, mountainous plateaus and cliff edges leading off into seas and islands. All the same color of blue. It was chillingly cold at his current altitude.

"Blue plants and green sky." he murmured. "Why does this place seem familiar? It's almost absurd how nostalgic this place makes me feel. Could this all just be another trick set up by Kami to fool my mind?"

His attention was pulled to elsewhere as a cloud parted for one of the multiple suns and something glinted white on the horizon, a massive flickering line that must have been miles wide, glimmering in the sun. He shaded his eyes and squinted. There was a strange red smog gathered there as well, and a faint rising glow like sparks of energy. There was no way to tell for sure what it was from this far away, but the ominous prickling of his Ki sense gave him some idea.

"Only one way to find out." he growled, flaring his energy around him.

Picking up the pace of his flight, in mere minutes time he coverd hundreds of miles, and slowly the white glint resolved itself into a clearly visible skyline across the water. Miles upon miles of the landscape was taken up by an enormous structure designed by some alien architect, contructed out of some glossy white material, possibly a metal, with bulbous doors and windows made of a purplish glass.

Now that he was close enough, he realized that the glimmering white spires he had seen from a distance were merely scratching the surface. As the city stretched into the distance, it took the shape of an enormous crater, with a steep slope on all sides. The layout of the city was an incredible ring of towers around the great gash in the crust of the planet, and within it smaller long buildings constructed on shelves of rock made a sprawling maze of huts.

He could gradually see a reddish glow, as though there was a mining operation of some sort going on in the very heart of the city. A plume of red smoke issued from it constantly, sparking and diffusing in the air and giving off strange colors like sunset.

Within the largest ring, there were smaller buildings in different shapes and configurations, all made of the same material but some with horns, bulbous insectlike additions seeming to hang precariously from the central spires as though they were a mere afterthought, and below that was swirling smog and more buildings. There were small, scurrying power levels working down there, thousands of them. Everything in this layer was stained with a reddish soot. There was strange technology everywhere, and the strange red smog clung to everything with a foul and sulfurous stench like a pit from hell.

"What is this place?" Piccolo scowled, covering his mouth and nose with a corner of his cape to filter it out.

Suddenly, a jolt of pure adrenaline rushed through him as his finely honed combat instincts screamed at him to defend himself, and he powered up involuntarily, spinning into a ready stance just in time, as a bolt of yellow Ki energy glanced off his hand into the sky. Piccolo winced, flexing his wrist momentarily. That had felt hot even through his protective aura.

"Who dares attack me from behind!?" Piccolo roared, scanning the sky. "Come and face me, coward!"

His attacker phased into view with a rush of wind, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well well well. One who has some confidence. And it speaks common language, too. I wouldn't expect one like you to be hiding among the peasant slums." rumbled the stranger.

Piccolo clenched his fists momentarily, sizing up his attacker. His power was considerable, but nothing Piccolo felt he couldn't handle. He was some kind of tall, gangly looking warrior in alien clothes, consisting of a set of orange gloves and boots, strange helmet with a mask of some sort obscuring the face, a ruffed tunic with a small metal chestpiece set into it, attatched by thick leather straps crossing over the whole torso. It was an ugly orange and blue color scheme, unpleasantly reminding him again of his other enemy.

"Who are you?" Piccolo shouted. "And why did you attack me?"

The brutish alien grunted, seemingly in confusion. "Can't you tell just by looking, genius? I'm your friendly overseer for this area, Commander Mollask. And its my job to keep your kind," he pointed a thumb down with a smirk, "...down there, in the mine. The only place a weakling like you can be of any use to your masters. But you should already know all this. So, whats the deal, slave? Did the red fume finally addle your mind or what?"

Piccolo's eyes widened. His teeth slowly started to bare as his face contorted with rage.

"You dare think that I, the mighty Piccolo, would ever become a slave?" Piccolo spat furiously, bristling at the thought.

"You said 'Piccolo'? How bizarre. Usually a name would go there. You don't have a name?"

"What? I told you my name. I am Piccolo!"

"You really have lost it, haven't you? 'Piccolo' simply means 'from another world'," Mollask said, crossing his arms. "Could it be you are from another world after all? That could explain some of that freakish power of yours, if you were a mutation. You're certainly advanced, for a low class."

"You fool! I am the Demon King, conqueror of planet Earth. You will regret that tounge of yours." Piccolo shook with fury as he spoke. Within the recesses of his mind however other thoughts raced, forming half-remembered connections.

The stranger who called himself Mollask chuckled and shook his head.

"Earth, huh? I think I've heard of it. A backwater little planet without a single warrior, isn't it?"

Piccolo froze in place, the snarl curling his lip twitched in annoyance. _Well, that used to be true._

"I'm having a hard time believing your story. Mind if I test that power of yours?" he continued, balling his fists in front of him and powering up quickly.

"Have it your way, then. If you think you can," Piccolo flared his own power challengingly and snarled. "I have a lot of questions, and you're going to answer them for me, once I've taught you a lesson."

Without wasting another second, Piccolo put his shoulder forward and charged forward with a burst of energy, slamming his shoulder into his opponents chest. For an instant, the overseer's head ducked as he clutched his abdomen, eyes bulging in pain visible even through the mask. That seemed like a good enough target, and he followed up with a knee that crunched the faceplate of the mask and send a small splatter of purple blood spewing out as it collided with teeth and nose.

He took advantage of his opponent's reaction and continued launching simple but strong punches, left and right into the ribcage, before deciding he'd had enough and pulling back for a strong roundhouse kick.

Unexpectedly his opponent recovered and blocked with an open palm. Before he could retract his kick, thick fingers grapsed his ankle and pulled him forward, pushing him off balance in midair and at the same time returning with a powerful strike that struck his shoulder and sent an intense flash of pain through the entire limb. He screamed all of a sudden as he realized it had probably broken the bone.

"Not so cocky now, are you, mutant?" he taunted. "It's too late to beg. You hurt my face, so I'm going to throw your corpse in the furnaces once I'm through punishing you."

Piccolo grit his teeth and pushed the pain aside, whirling around with his energy to free his trapped leg, and at the same time he rotated in midair, with his other leg acting as a pendulum carrying the whole force of his movement into a kick that dropped heavily on the soldier's right shoulder with a loud crack, sending him spinning downwards before he was able to regain his levitation.

The pained scream was immediately afterwards.

"Argh! Bastard!" he screeched, clutching his shoulder, which was greatly deformed from the heavy impact.

Piccolo briefly flexed his own arm, though he was sure it was in better condition than his opponents shattered limb it was still a clean break in the bone that would take a bit of time to heal. He could regenerate, but he wasn't cocky enough to try that in the middle of a serious battle like this, not when he needed the energy just to keep up. He directed some more energy towards the limb to try and brace it together for the moment.

"Thats a little better. Now we're even." Piccolo smirked, spitting a little bit of blood to one side. "I think its almost time for you to answer my questions."

"Know your place you mutant freak!" he called back, raising his hand. Another golden ball of energy formed and immediately lanced outwards at high speed. Piccolo sensed and dodged it this time rather than block it, which seemed to be the right choice given its heat and power.

Rushing down and strafing to the right, he dodged several more mid-range blasts with the after image technique, phasing in and out a few times before engaging the infuriated enemy again, smashing him in the side of the head with a sharp right before backing off from the inevitable counter attempt. Piccolo couldn't help but smirk. While his opponent had some considerable power and energy reserve, he seemed to know nothing about fighting techniques from Earth, and his feints kept blindsiding him. He focused his own energy on dodging and striking at close range.

After a moment or two of battling like that, only a few powerful but sloppily aimed fist or booted foot grazing past his cheek, he threw in a kick to the groin area, a sure killer from his experience on Earth. Strangely it didn't even phase his opponent, who seeing an opening, grabbed him with his remaining arm legs and and executed a violent combination of headbutt and a left straight punch that sent him reeling backwards through the air and shaking his head. He reached up to his turban and felt his forehead. Drips of blood were running heavily between his antennae.

"Damn it." He swore silently, willing the bleeding to stop via ki energy before it got in his eyes and blinded him. "This should be over by now."

"You're really pissing me off, offworlder. You just don't know who you're dealing with..." the brute grumbled, spitting out a tooth. By now all the punches and the headbutt had actually started fracturing the material of the helmet. "This thing is completely useless now."

He reached up and unhooked one of two small clasps on the jawline of his suit and unstrapped his helmet, before stopping and looking at his other arm, which hung limply at his right side. "First things first..."

He grabbed his arm, digging in with his fingertips. Piccolo glanced up and watched in confusion.

**"HRAAAAGH!" **

With a roar as loud as it was painful, the alien brute suddenly pulled down on the broken area with incredible force, causing the flesh to begin to rip apart and bone to poke through as the injured arm seperated with a loud, fleshy snap.

Confusion turned to horror as he watched him cast aside the severed arm in a very familiar fashion.

Continuing his pained and furious sounding roar, the alien suddenly began trembling and powered up. Within seconds, the stump twitched and a green slime started gushing out of it, followed by a fleshy green lump that it immediately became clear was a fully regenerated arm.

A very familiar looking arm.

"What the hell?" Piccolo gasped, floating backwards in shock. "He can regenerate too?"

"Heheh..." the alien grinned at his look of shock. "Didn't expect that, did you? I'm a real super-class namekian warrior, and unlike you, I have _real power_... not just little magic tricks."

Piccolo shuddered, _what is this? Can this be real?_

The warrior namek overseer unclasped the ruined helmet the rest of the way and threw it off carelessly, revealing a gaunt green face, covered in scars and made even uglier now by a freshly broken nose smeared with purple blood and a gap toothed fanged grin..

"You can't possibly be the same kind of creature as me..." Piccolo said in stark disbelief, though pieces were falling into place in his head even as he spoke. _Then I'm also an alien? One of these, namekian warriors?"_

"Haven't you been paying attention, scum? You and I are nothing alike. I am Commander Mollask, a super warrior of the Slug Clan! You are merely a delusional low class from another world, a mutated freak of nature who got too big for his britches." the namekian sneered. He lifted a thumb to his nose and straightened it out with a pop, snorting a thick glob of blood out of his nostril.

"Fine words, spoken through a mouthfull of broken teeth," Piccolo shot back, regaining some of his composure. "All your talk of Clans and warriors is annoying me. I wish I you talked less trash and more answers, but I can see you only speak the language of pain."

"A language we seem to share. I suppose you should be a bit proud. I've never once lost my composure before today, never once needed my full power for something as ridiculous as puttomg down a one namek rebellion." he sneered, assuming a battle stance once more. "Truth be told its hurting my pride quite a bit."

"Full... power?! Are you telling me you've been holding back this whole time?" Piccolo gasped, gaping in horror, as his opponent grinned confidently.

Once again he clenched both fists and started powering up with a rumbling growl. This time his gangly musculature started swelling dangerously along with his power level, until it had almost doubled Piccolo's own.

Piccolo grit his teeth angrily and started powering up as well, sending sparks flying between the two of them where their aura clashed. Even as he neared his own limit, the namekian called Mollask continued to slowly increase his power by a terrifying proportion, almost doubling in the short span of time that passed. The swelling aura of power began kicking up wind around him and even pushed him back a few feet.

_This... is not good. He may be an illusion created solely to torment me, but he's stronger than anything I could imagine. What exactly happens if I lose here and die? Kami knows Illusions can't kill me for real, but if I can't break free... then the illusion can't end either. Will I be thrown into limbo until the spell is lifted?_

Piccolo contemplated his options as the seconds ticked by. His opponent was watching him with a smirk of confidence. Piccolo grit his teeth in frustration and tried to ignore it.

_There is one technique that might work. One of Kami's old standbys. I never thought I would be considering THAT in the middle of a battle. It's not even really a combat technique, and it won't work if my opponent is stronger than me. If he's only an illusion though, then there isn't anything to stop this technique from working..._

"Damn it, this is one hell of a nightmare..." Piccolo growled. Glancing down at his arm, rendered useless by the previous onslaught, he briefly weighed his options.

_...Even if that all works out, I still need both arms to use it... and after I expend the energy to regenerate, I'll only have one shot. _

Piccolo raised his eyes forward with a sharp and determined glare. _I have no choice left but to try or fail, and die here. The possession technique is my only chance. Lets hope I'm right about his power being just one of Kami's illusions..._

Gritting his teeth, he dug his nails into the flesh of the arm and prepared. _"Damn that Kami, for sending me here..."_

With a roar of his own, Piccolo tore his own limb off in preperation for regeneration.

"What are you doing, you idiot?" his enemy suddenly dropped his guard and aura entirely to stare incredulously. "That technique wont work for your kind! Are you really such a fool you think you can just imitate me and it'll work?!"

Piccolo grit his teeth even as another painful yell wrenched itself from his chest, as he regenerated his arm exactly as it was. One more shower of green slime later, and he flexed his arm and wrist, testing it's strength. After a few seconds had passed, his opponent was still in stunned silence and he used the chance to regain his breath and try and recoup his lost power. For a start he reached up and cast aside his weighted cape and turban, flexing his now freed neck muscles with a sigh.

"You were saying?" Piccolo sneered.

Piccolo raised his hands in front of his chest and focused the same energy he had utilised before. Grunting from the effort, a vein on his forehead began to pop as he focused all his mental energies. The waves of ki and telekinetic energy took on a visible shape as solid glowing lines in the air and radiated from his eyes into the space between his hands.

"Your strength increased significantly again just now... just by talking off your cloak?" Mollask growled, still looking intensely confused.

"I fight with weights in my clothes. It's a good handicap for training, but I think you've earned my full power as well." he smirked back, his grin growing at the look on his opponent's still, cold sweat was beginning to pour down his brow.

_Thats right... just stay still for a few more seconds and I'll have you right where you need to be._ He slowly began bringing his arms apart until they were pointing parallel at his opponent, like rails to carry the energy forward.

"Thats enough Mollask! Stand down!"

The both of them whirled in surprise at the booming deep voice. Piccolo's eyes widened as he caught sight of the newcomer, and he lost his concentration.

"Captain Katas!" the other straightened up after a moment. "Sir! What are you doing here! The inspection wasn't supposed to be until next-"

"I sensed a strange power and came to investigate, same as you. I've been here the entire time, but only now did you even notice. For all your boasting about the superiority of the warrior clan, you've been outdone twice by the dragon clan today."

"I... I meant no disrespect to your lineage, Captain. I would never-"

"I don't recall giving you permission to speak, Mollask." the one called Katas rumbled.

Piccolo looked back and forth in a state of shock as the once intimidating Mollask now gulped and saluted silently, standing stock-still in midair as the other one passed by him, floating towards him and stopping mere feet away from Piccolo himself.

"Hm. How very strange." he said, staring him in the eye. Piccolo found himself frozen in place, staring back at those eyes.

Piccolo knew full well to what this one referred to when he said it was strange without having to ask, because as he stared wide-eyed back at Katas he saw a mirror image of his own familiar features staring back at him, a doppelganger so precise, even the alien features could not hide their shock at seeing eachother so suddenly. Aside from the obvious difference in clothes they wore, the only other difference was that of height, as Katas towered over him by what was easily two head-heights. Additionaly, unlike Commander Mollask there was not a single scar on this one's face, and Piccolo knew why. Although he had managed to hide his powerlevel somehow as he approached their standoff, being here in front of him now he could feel a distinct pressure that told him there was no way he could ever defeat this being. His energy was unbelievably deep, and a strange heat seemed to emmenate from him, but Piccolo realized that was simply a result of his Ki sense recognizing his brimming power, just under the skin.

"What... what are you?" Piccolo found himself asking, before he realized it.

"I was about to ask you the very same question, offworlder." the one called Katas responded with a voice eerily similiar to his own, as he began hovering in slow circle around him, scrutinizing every inch of his person until he stood behind him. Piccolo shifted uncomfortably, feeling strangely hot from the mere presence of his aura.

"You wear the clothes of a peasant, but you have abilities comparable to one of the warrior class, which should be impossible. You seem to have no knowledge of Namek, but you know our regeneration technique. Despite that, the rest of your fighting style remains unfamiliar to me. From watching you fight, I can tell that your seemingly lower battle power increases in explosive bursts when you strike. How did you accomplish that?"

Piccolo swallowed, turning towards the confrontational glare the namek was giving him, while uncomfortable, was still better than letting him have his back. Katas seemed amused by the glare he returned, but as if on cue floated back to allow him some breathing space.

"Mollask, return to your duties immediately! This pointless fight is over. I will handle things from here." he said, turning towards his subordinate quickly before continuing, "You are to instruct the rest of the barracks not to mention this incident to anyone, and I don't need to remind you what happens to those who disobey the orders of the command. I don't need rumors spreading that would upset our Lord, do you understand?"

"Sir, yes sir!" he stammered, "Lord Slug will not hear of this from me, sir."

"I'm sure you're relieved. You know how he deals with messengers." Katas growled. "Dismissed."

With a final salute Mollask turned and flew back to one of the taller white spires in the distance, apparently the guard barracks for whatever operation was going on in the enormous crater below.

Piccolo briefly considered making a run for it right there and then, while their backs were turned, but he knew better. He had a suspicion he would be caught again within minutes, if not seconds. Although he couldn't sense it in full, he knew the full extent of power behind the one called Katas must be truly terrifying if it could scare his opponent into submission.

Indeed, his own instincts were telling him to be very afraid.

Katas turned slowly towards him, and Piccolo shuddered at the glance of those eyes. It felt almost as if a finger had reached into his mind and prodded the unevolved portion of his brain. An electric shock of fear went through him each time he met his eyes.

It took a full five seconds for him to realize he was being spoken to by this monster.

"What is your name, Piccolo from Earth?" he asked him, slowly, coldly.

"I've told you already. I am Piccolo." he shot back angrily, although he still felt a deep seated terror.

"And as Mollask told you, that is not a Namekian name. It merely indicates to us that you come from another place, this Earth you mentioned. What is your Namekian name?"

Piccolo was silent for long moments as his breathing became jagged. His skin broke out in a cold sweat as the very words being spoken awoke old memories he thought he had long repressed, the hereditary memories from hundreds of years ago.

"I don't know anything about that! I _..._I remember nothing at all from before a certain age. I grew up alone." he found himself answering honestly, for whatever reason other than fear he did not know.

The namekian Katas was silent in thought for a few moments, continuing to stare sharply at him, before his expression melted into something calmer, but still cold and stern. Was it pity, or something else? Piccolo didn't like the thought of that.

"Very well then, nameless Namekian," Katas rumbled. "I have a few more questions to ask you, but for now my curiosity is satisfied. We will have time to talk more later."

"What?" Piccolo intoned in stark disbelief.

Katas raised his fingers and a red glow of transluscent energy lashed out without warning before he could even flinch, and it struck his whole body with a flash, before solidifying around his forearms with sudden weight and form. Piccolo gasped and strained in panic as some black bands of thick cloth locked his wrists and ankles in place with an out of place metallic clank, and he actually sunk several feet in midair from the increased weight. Katas kept his hand raised, and seemingly held him in place in midair even as he struggled. After a moment another black band wrapped around his neck, and from all three shackles a thin cord appeared and connected in front of him with a burst of red light, leaving very little room to raise his arms or legs. Suddenly Piccolo reeled, feeling the very strength draining from him into the bands.

"What have you done to me?" he gasped out in shock. It was very clear now that he was no longer flying under his own power, but instead in the vicelike grip of Katas.

"These are Dragon Slumbering Bands, one of the final arts of material summoning. Only I can break these bands. While you wear these, you can no longer produce battle energy."

"What?! No!" Piccolo shouted, straining hopelessly against the restraints. It was indeed hopeless, as they were semmingly tied in a way that cut off his access to his Ki, preventing it from leaving his body.

"I suggest you give up now. If you keep struggling like that, you'll only drain your power faster."

_Is this still part of the illusion? I can't feel my own ki anymore! argh..._

"I, Katas of the Slug Clan hereby bind you with these words. You will swear allegiance and servitude to myself and my lineage." he continued.

Piccolo's head snapped up, antenna whipping back with the movement. "You bastard! I'll never serve you, or anyone! I am the master of my own destiny!" Piccolo screamed, twisting against the wrist cuffs wildly despite the straining of his wrist bones.

"You have a strong will, its true. But it is in recognition of that fact that I'm trying to offer you a choice." his captor responded in a smooth tone. "If you swear to serve me, the bonds come off... Physically, at least. The mental chains will remain in my hands."

"Do you honestly think you can break my resolve!? Make me your slave?!" he snarled back in disbelief, continuing to strain against the magic bonds holding his wrists in place. They seemed too thick even for physical strength to tear, and even his physical strength was beginning to fade. It was more likely he would break before they did at this rate.

"Why try to escape now, fool? I wish to spare your miserable life. You would be far better off as my servant than that of a worker mutant, toiling at the furnaces below. Your raw fighting talent would be wasted there, and your life would be shortened."

"Either way a prisoner and a slave! How in the hell is that a better option?" he snarled, giving up on trying to break free with strength to simply glare back at him.

"Still you refuse? Swear to me or die in ignonomy, nameless one. Your choice." Katas growled deeply.

"Then finish me off, now! I am no one's slave, and I don't fear any death you can give me!" Piccolo spat defiantly, matching his glare for the first time.

Unexpectedly, the bonds loosened and broke, vanishing into his body. Piccolo gasped as his own power flowed back into him like it had never been gone, and he could breathe freely again.

"What's this?! Impossible!"

Piccolo glanced from his hands, which still bore a fading mark from the shackles, back to the threat still before him.

"But that's impossible!" Katas repeated, utterly dumbfounded by the sight before him.

"Sorry to have to tell you this, but _Piccolo is not that easy to hold down_!" he shouted, raising both hands above his head, palms flipped.

"**SOLAR FLARE**!"

There was a flash of blinding light, followed by the explosive burst and shockwave of sound as Piccolo engaged his full power towards the single purpose of getting as far away as he could in as short amount of time as he could. Even as he heard his opponent's scream of surprise at being blinded, he cut his losses and dived into the forest below, dropping his power as low as it could get and relying on the power of his legs to flee, darting between the towering trees and into the shadows.

Katas wringed his hands against his eyes, shielding them from the blinding light that seemed to linger for far too long as he sensed his opponent getting farther and farther away. The pain in his eyes was nothing, it could not stop him from giving chase with his energy senses, but something else had stayed his hand, and that was his mind.

At that moment that he had broken free from the magic restraints, there was no reason he should have been able to do that, Katas thought. His mind raced and his heart pounded. His power was greater than his by far, and the binds should have been absolute. Only the caster himself could remove the power restricting bonds...

Katas had paused in that instant, thoughts lingering there as he faintly felt a telepathic connection.

Slowly the light faded, and he lowered his hands, blinking. The light of the three suns seemed dimmer now by comparison.

"Could it be, that this stranger is actually..." 

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I know I said this would have more saiyans and android last chapter, but writing this much and doing a bunch of rewrites made me think that stuff would make more sense in the next chapter.

More coming soon! Hope this wasn't too heavy and was still enjoyable to read.


	12. Chapter 12

**Human Limitations, Chapter 12:**

_Flashing back to 16 days ahead, the present time_  
><em>The standoff in the wasteland continues...<em>

The punk in the mask paused his knife flailing abruptly and cocked his head to the side as if in suddenly occurring thought. A wisp of grey-black hair fell over the hockey mask that hadn't been visible where it had been pinned back before.

"I know you, blondie. I never forget a face. You're Launch! Oh, I'm an admirer of yours, you know." He wheezed darkly, a creepy tone coming into his voice."I used to spend nights just staring at your pretty mugshots. You certainly are most wanted, pretty babe..."

"I didn't need to know that." Launch said, turning green.

Yamcha stepped between the two of them. "Back off," he growled warningly.

The masked man gestured knowingly with his knife and chuckled again.

"Where have I seen YOU before? I know I've seen that face somewhere. You, with the scars." he grumbled, as if it needed explaining further.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar." he said, oddly calm as he peered out of the mask. "I've seen you. I think you were like me, on a poster once... Desert Wolf? Am I right!?"

Yamcha paused, and spat to the side. "The same... But I'm nothing like you. I've tried to put my past behind me."

The increasingly manic hockey-mask wearing punk hollered and crowed exitedly, throwing his hands to the side. A loud, slurring laugh rolled out from behind the hockey mask that hid his expression. Yamcha was startled by this again, because it resembled a welcoming gesture more than anything.

"Now, this is more like it! This is a goddamn auspicous occasion! Three wanted people from different walks of life just happened to run into eachother in the middle of a crisis like this? We can't let this happy chance go by without a little celebration..."

"Celebration?" Yamcha scoffed. "Listen, I don't know what sick game you're trying to play, but I'm giving you one last chance to turn around and walk away from this."

"And pass up this great opportunity? Hell naw! I havent had any REAL fun in a while!" he cackled, tossing his head back. His laugh increased in intensity and he staggered back and forth again, knife hand swinging limply.

Yamcha's eyebrows shot up, _This guy isn't faking it. He's got to be completely insane._

"Everybody get back! Jacko's other side is gonna come out again!" shouted a muscular thug with a black mohawk in a deep voice.

_Other side? ...what the hell?_ Yamcha scowled, narrowing his eyes.

There was a collectively frightened sound from the rest of the group who had already given up fighting as they all scrambled backwards to get behind some cover, whether it was one of the motorbikes he'd slagged a minute ago, or just a rock or a shrub that barely covered anything. Many of them simply panicked and laid flat on the ground.

'Jacko' wasted no more time in dropping his arms to slip out of his bulky biker jacket, revealing his heavily scar-crossed chest and arms, rippling with muscle and very 'cut' in both senses of the word. Surprisingly, despite his muscles he appeared to have disproportionaltely long, gangly arms without his heavy looking jacket.

"Ahh... Muuuuch better!" he sighed, flexing his neck with a loud snap to one side and keeping it there, while he began warming up with some knife-thrusts and stretches. Yamcha's nose wrinkled at the strange sight.

"You said earlier you know this guy's reputation, Launch? Who exactly is this 'Jacko'? Is he really that strong?" Yamcha muttered loud enough so that only she could hear him. Launch grunted, pushing herself off the ground and wiping the dirt off her pants leg.

"That would be an understatement. I don't know his real name, but he used to be called Faceless Jace. He was one of the top assasins in the underworld years back, second only to Tao PaiPai."

"Seriously?! Is that some kind of joke, Launch? He doesn't look like it... At all," Yamcha said incredulously. He just had to ask.

"Yeah... He wasn't always like this. He looks like a joke now, but years back he used to be a martial arts assasin like Tien was trained to be. Well, not nearly _that good, I mean c'mon.._." Launch blushed momentarily at her own words. "Anyways, he discovered his talent as a contract killer at only sixteen. He couldn't stop himself. When he wasn't in training, he always did heavy drugs to calm his insane killing urges. One day, he had a complete mental breakdown and went on a killing spree. It took ten other assassins to stop him, but evem they didn't kill him completely..."

"If this is all a joke, its not a very plausible one, Launch..." he shook his head confusedly.

"Dumbass! Why would I joke at a time like this!?" Launch slapped his shoulder. "Why else would all these punks be following around this psycho? For protection, duh! Nobody _normal_ could ever hope to beat this guy..."

Thinking back to a few minutes ago, to the confused ravings his opponent had been spouting. "Wait, are you trying to tell me he really could shoot energy beams if he wanted to?"

"I don't know. Maybe? If he says so. I've only ever heard of him referred to as a hidden weapons expert, it could be just another one of his delusions. His own handlers arranged to have him locked up in some asylum years ago until they could fix him, but he broke out and went rouge again, had more relapses. The alias he's been using now is Fisher Jack, a.k.a. the Psycho-Cutter, a.k.a. Fish Gutter Jacko," Launch stopped and shuddered, taking another step to be further behind him and out of sight.

"The _Fish Gutter?_" Yamcha said, smirking nervously. "Sounds, uh... pretty violent. So, do I even wanna know the story behind that name?"

"I don't think this is the time for any more stories!" Launch shot back quietly, shoving him in the back roughly. "I know he's no match for you, Scarface! Just hurry up and kill this guy for me like you did the others!"

Yamcha risked turning an annoyed grimace directed over his shoulder.

"Look, Launch... I already told you, that time was an accident. I didn't know how much power my new arm was packing." he growled. "I can't just kill my opponents constantly, I'm not trying to be an assassin."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! You're _such_ a nice guy!" Launch hissed under her breath, shoving him again. "But _they_ weren't, and neither is this guy! So _SHUT UP _and fry that fucking lunatic!"

"I heard you say that, you blonde _BITCH_!" Jacko screeched, voice cracking harshly. The both of them flinched at the sudden pitch increase and Yamcha clapped a hand over his ear. 'Jacko' let out a single bark of disturbed laughter, before going silent again.

"On second thought, maybe I should just kill him and be done with this..." Yamcha sighed.

"Oh, what a brilliant plan, wish I'd thought of it," Launch shot back angrily, clinging behind him like a human shield.

"So, you already know my true identity... It's true, fighting and killing is the only thing that can make me feel good anymore. Sorry, but I'm going to kill you slowly. Actually I'm not sorry at all. I get off on this kinda thing. Haha. Ha." he said, trailing off into a quiet wheeze, snickering breathlessly.

Yamcha could have sworn he heard Launch whimper at the sound. Admittedly, the sound really would be chilling, but Yamcha had faced real killers before, and this was just one more crazy person.

"Calm down. I've got this all under control." he whispered, waving for her to step back.

"I know that! He just creeps me out with his weird noises, okay!?" Launch growled defensively, but stepped back and crossed her arms to watch. "You get him, Yamcha!"

Once she had cleared enough space, he turned his full attention back to the situation in front of him. "You're right about that though, Launch. After all, if he's not even as strong as Tao Paipai was, then I shouldn't have any problem. Just give me five minutes and then we can go."

"Shit! Yamcha, don't piss him off any more, just kill him before he gets serious!" Launch shouted.

"Whats the harm? This guy is like, _twice_ my age. I can't even sense his power. He probably wears that mask just to hide his wrinkles."

His enemy's head tipped back and his back straightened out, as though he was looking at them down the bridge of his nose. There was a long pause where his chest just rose and fell and he just panted out ragged breaths. "You'll pay for that, brat." Jacko snarled, trembling with rage.

"Whoops. Looks like I pissed him off." he smirked, waving him on with a 'get over here' gesture'.

Yamcha every muscle tensed, eyes flicking over his opponent. The crazed man's eyes were now completely wide behind the hockey mask he wore, and never seemed to blink. Despite this his stance had a certain balance to it, as though he had undergone some training. He swayed dangerously, swapping the knife between hands with a slow, deliberate flip, only to quickly catch it again with a flourish. The blade glinted in the hard overhead sunlight, causing him to cackle again in a completely unhinged fashion.

The scarfaced bandit smirked back unfazed by the show, dipping into his trademark martial arts ready stance. He knew he _should_ be able to take him on no problem, but the scars over his cheek and eye stretched tight against the skin, unpleasantly reminding him that, even at his level of training, a knifefighter could still surprise you if you took your eyes off his hands for too long.

Not a moment too soon, because at that instant his opponent ducked his head and rushed forwards!

The deadly knife tucked under his body, he closed the distance of perhaps twenty paces between them in only three steps, far faster than a normal human would have been able to track, and that would have been the end of it. Yamcha was somewhat beyond a normal human however, and he easily redirected the thrust with his palm, causing it to swing wide. At the same time however he carried the momentum of his missed thrust around into a spin and brought up his leg, aiming a high snap kick that Yamcha narrowly blocked with his left hand, wincing as the impact of it briefly rattled him.

He came at him again with the knife, a flat-bladed thrust intended to slit open his stomach. Yamcha easily countered, leaning to the left and allowing him to stumble past before locking down the wrist under his own arm. His metallic right arm constriced against ordinary flesh with a squelching bruising noise that released a startled cry of pain. A sharp twist of the elbow to apply pressure was all it took to make him drop the weapon to the ground, where the tip stuck fast into the dirt.

The masked assailant screamed back incoherently, the sound ringing inside the confines of the mask.

The masked punk struck back heavily, driving his knees heavily into Yamcha's sides and even trying to sweep his legs in an attempt to break free, but he was able to twist and negate most of the force of the blows that he didn't bother to dodge. Just as he'd thought, he had somehow gotten quite a bit tougher as a result of the doctor's surgery, and the metallic plates, whatever they were made of, didn't even buckle in the slightest when the once powerful assasin struck them. Of course, he didn't have much room to wind up, considering his knife arm was being twisted so badly.

Suddenly the masked psychopath tried a different tactic, jumping off the ground with both feet tucked against his chest, and used the momentum to latch onto Yamcha's neck. Yamcha was forced to let go almost immediately as his legs squeezed like an anaconda, but even when he let go he wasn't released immediately. Pulling himself up by his torso muscles he swung himself around, dragging Yamcha who was knocked off balance and forced to grab hold as well to stop his own neck being twisted backwards by the sudden torsion.

But it seemed like he wasnt done. Once he was in position with his ankles wrapped firmly around his chin, a flash of light and a sharp sound were the only warning he got before he had pulled a hidden blade from his belt and swung sharply down! Yamcha had to rely on his martial arts training and reflexes at the last second to intercept it, knocking the hand away quickly.

_I need to get out of his lock, first._ Yamcha thought. Crouching, Yamcha took a leap several metres into the air, surprising his opponent and giving him the leeway he needed to spin out of his grip. He righted himself in midair and used levitation to slow his descent, giving him some control over the situation.

Yamcha blinked, pausing in midair. "Where'd he go!?"

"Above you!" Launch quickly warned him.

Yamcha's eyes widened and he looked up in time to quickly fly out of the way of a slash from another knife Jacko had pulled as he dropped through the air with alarming speed. He never hit the ground, however, as he suddenly paused in midair as well.

"What the hell? He can fly?!" both fighters shouted in unison. The assassin punk turned to him in midair and Yamcha could almost swear he had the same expression under the mask.

"You've got some serious skills, boy. You should've been an assassin." Jacko sneered, raising his knife again. Then he paused, and tucked it into his belt.

Raising his hands with a smirk, he suddenly let out a powerful yell, and Yamcha was taken off guard once again as a ray of reddish pink energy similiar to Tien's Dodonpa emerged and shot towards him with blinding speed and light.

Yamcha didn't even have time to move. What happened next caught even him off guard, however, as his right hand seemed to react to the blast on its own and moved between it and him, not even in position to guard against it, but simply catching it in the palm of his hand.

"What the?!" Yamcha had time to say, before the rush of energy hit him.

The ki blast vanished with a rushing roar that sounded like the reverse of how it had come out, and Yamcha stared in wonder at the palm of his hand. For the second time now he noticed the small red diode dissapearing into the palm of his hand.

"What the fuck just happened? What did you just do?!" Jacko growled, hands still extended in his attack pose.

Yamcha's mind raced once again. He could literally feel his own Ki increase from being hit with that attack. No way. _Ki absorbtion... Doctor Gero, you mad genius. You just saved my skin for a second time._ Yamcha couldn't help but smirk, but the smirk dissapeared after a moment. _Wait, he developed all this tech just so he could kill Goku in the first place. I'm not sure how to feel about that now..._

"YAMCHA! LOOK OUT!"

_Shit, I wasn't watching him! Where is he._

Yamcha looked around frantically, but the killer wasn't where he was a moment ago.

A sudden glint of metal and a sharp sound were the only warning he got before Jacko pulled the knife, and it was already whistling sharply towards his skull from the side with blinding speed. Yamcha grasped for it with both hands, but seemingly too late, as the end of the blade dissappeared from sight. A spray of blood burst from between his hands as the knife-weilder pulled back.

"ArGh!" Yamcha screamed.

"Hahaha!" he cackled again in a harsh reedy voice, releasing his hold and flipping back to ground land on a knee.

Yamcha reeled in place and clutched his hand to his head, a thin trail of blood running down between his eyes, which had gone wide.

"Shit, I can't believe that just happened..."

"And with that single blow, your skull is punctured! I told you I'd gouge out your skull! I told you you'd regret making fun of me, you cocky little brat, and look what happened! You're DEAD, SON! You're motherfucking DEAD! And in less than five minutes, too! AHAHAHAhahahaaaa!"

The assassin Jacko chuckled to himself for a few moments longer, then sighed and wiped his mask as though brushing away an imaginary tear.

"Oh, thats good. I needed a good laugh. Shit gets too serious around here, what with everyone talking about the aliens and the apocalypse... As if I give a shit about the world..." he continued, stretching his shoulders back and forth as he walked around him, stopping to glare down through his pitiless eyeholes at his next target, who was already frozen in disbelief and horror.

"Hello there, Launch. I'm really going to enjoy this." he said darkly, traces of a sadistic smile in his voice, as he raised his knife...

There was a sudden rush of wind.

"You really are hopelessly stupid."

"Huh?!"

A grip tougher than steel suddenly clamped down on the wristbones holding the knife, grinding them together and fracturing them in a matter of seconds.

Yamcha wiped the blood off his forehead and held up a long fragment of twisted metal. "I think this is the other half of your knife? Or didn't you notice it was missing after you stabbed me?"

He threw the fragment to the ground carelessly, and winced, touching at shallow but bloody gash on his left palm with his left index finger. When he had grabbed for the knife instinctively, he used both hands. The left palm had been cut open, causing him to cry out in pain, but his right hand, being replaced with metal, had simply caused the blade to snap, and the spray of blood had covered the fact that in that instant the blade was now just a useless stub.

Stunned and in an excruciating amount of pain the assassin fell to his knees, and was kicked the rest of the way to the ground mere seconds later by a heavy black boot that landed on his kneecap, then again to the chest. Yamcha didn't let go of his wrist, keeping him in place for each blow. The sound of snapping ribs was clearly audible on impact, the scream of pain far more muffled by way of the extent of the damage making it impossible to breathe properly.

"Agh... Stop! Enough!"

"What? C'mon Jacko. I thought you liked seeing people in pain..." he snarled, mocking coldly. Releasing the wrist, he threw him to the ground.

Yamcha raised his right hand one more time. A red light formed in his palm and he aimed it towards the masked maniac, and forced himself to channel his ki energy through the red diode on the palm of his hand. Red ki lanced forward like a javelin once more and then connected, killing him instantly.

A hole the size of a quarter was blasted straight through the forehead of the mask, cauterized cleanly by heat. The melting plastic of the mask quickly cooled and bonded with bone on the inside edge of the wound, bonding it as tightly as if it were spot welded steel... rendering him permanently faceless.

Yamcha turned to Launch, covering his eyes.

"Lets get going now. We've wasted too much time," he said, feeling drained. _I ended up taking another life. At least he truly deserved it._

"But my bike is wrecked." Launch said after a moment, noticeably looking somewhat shaken.

"Shit, thats right..." Yamcha groaned. "Well, I can fly us a few miles at least, that should get us part of the way..."

"Wait... Wait a moment, you two!" shouted a booming voice.

Yamcha and Launch turned. The man with the black mohawk who had shouted out before was standing there. The crowd of punks and thugs who had been cowering before were all starting to get up from their hiding places. Even the guy who'd been thrown from his motorcycle had limped over. They were all watching them expectantly.

The tall, muscular man slowly stepped forward until he was close enough to look down at Yamcha, who stood and glared uncertainly.

"Thank you... for saving us from Jacko," he said more quietly, but still with a very deep voice that resonated. He had a genuine smile on his face, even though he looked guilty.

"You're thanking me?" Yamcha blinked in surprise.

"Yes. You were right about what you said. We lost all hope when things turned for the worse, and we ended up following a really bad guy who just wanted to control us out of fear. I grew up with most of these dumbasses, so I think I can speak for them as well when I say we never wanted to become as bad as Jacko. Thank you, for snapping us out of it."

Yamcha paused and smiled back, not sure exactly how to respond. It made him feel a bit better somehow, anyways.

"Listen," the man continued. "My home town is only a few miles that way. It's not much to look at, but I can fix your ride, give you some food and water to take with you. I want to pay you back somehow for causing you all this trouble. And if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to be your friend, too."

"I'd really appreciate it. Whats your name?" Yamcha said tiredly, offering a handshake. The mohawked man gratefully took it.

"My name is Kurou." he grinned broadly.


	13. Chapter 13

**Human Limitations, Chapter 13:**

Early the next day.

Yamcha sat stock still in front of the old television setup in Kurou's garage workshop as the recording played over the weeks old news again. Capsule Corp appeared on the screen as the newscaster talked for a moment about the science company's contributions to the relief effort, and Yamcha breathed a sigh of relief to see that Bulma was alright at least, but nobody else he recognized was at that press conference. The image flicked back to the disaster footage. The new recording appeared to have been taken around the same time as Dr. Gero's surveilance, but ran for much longer before and after. Despite that added footage, nobody seemed to realize the truth. Everyone had focused on Piccolo's reappearance and ignored the stranger's presence entirely.

The _Saiyan_, as he'd called himself. The one who actually attacked the city, the one who blasted off his right arm along with groups of innocent civilians like they were ants under his foot. But all because _he_ had to show up, every news outlet in the world was screaming about the return of the Demon King Piccolo. But apparently, that wasn't all that had been going on. Apparently there had been several more explosions in West City and other major metropolitan areas, and other stranger things...

Yamcha grit his teeth as he hit the pause button on the remote and the taped recording shakily stopped. He'd already explained the situation to Kurou as well, leaving out some of the bits about Dr. Gero and the Red Ribbon Army, and admitted that he honestly had no idea what had been transpiring over the past days.

"It's been hell on Earth. Thats the only way to describe it," Kurou sighed, sitting down at the foldable card table. He handed a cup of coffee over to Yamcha, who waved it off to Launch, who grabbed it gratefully and took several gulps.

"Every day on the radio we hear about it," Kurou continued. "...More people dissappearing without a trace. Dozens by the day, vanishing at random in every major city without any explanation whatsoever, leaving everything behind. Their clothes, their food, their cars... all just left behind. Some people are saying its the end of the world. There's been an evacuation order in West City after what they're calling King Picollo's return, and other cities are following suit because of these mysterious dissapearances..."

"Evacuate from WHAT?! 'Mysterious dissapearances'? Where the hell they going to go? From what you've just said they haven't even SEEN what's causing it!" Launch shouted exasperatedly, slaming down the coffee mug hard enough to rattle the table. "How do you run from something when you don't even know what it is you're supposed to be running from?!"

"I think I have an idea..." Yamcha groaned rubbing at his temples with his remaining hand. "...of what might be causing these dissapearances..."

"Huh? What are you talkin' about, Yamcha?" Launch turned, suddenly very attentive and quiet towards him as he spoke. Yamcha glanced over at her questioningly, but decided to let it go.

"Well, you wouldn't remember this, because you weren't 'yourself' at the time..." He sighed, before continuing. "Back in Gingertown, we both ran into this weird creature that attacked, and it tried to grab you before I managed to kill it. Some sort of giant cockroach or something, but with intelligence..."

"A giant cockroach tried to grab me?" Launch paled considerably as she thought of it.

"Anyways..." Yamcha continued, "The whole town seemed to have vanished, leaving behind their clothes with punture wounds in them. We figured that if there was a cause, that bug was it."

"Could that be something those aliens brought along with them for the invasion?" Kurou leaned in anxiously. "If that is the source of these dissapearances, it would explain quite a bit. A bug must have ways of getting around unnoticed..."

"I don't know. I'm sure I killed that thing." Yamcha sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I blasted it to a crisp and sensed its energy dissapear, there's no way it could survive that, could it?"

"Maybe there are more of them around..." Launch shuddered, still pale. "Where there's one roach, there's bound to be a lot more nesting somewhere."

Yamcha paused to consider that and shuddered as well, imagining an underground hive of slavering insectoid monsters rising to the earth's surface, draining the vital juices of unsuspecting victims.

"I don't think thats likely," Yamcha said after a moment. "If there were more of them, I think probably hundreds of victims per day would be more likely."

Kurou wringed his hands nervously and stood up, turning back to his work on repairing the damaged engine components of Launch's gyro-cycle. He ran his hands through the black shock of hair on top of his head, inadvertently leaving a dark smudge of oil on his face.

"I hope you're right about that, too." he muttered, getting down on one knee and rummagging through the tool box next to it. "The last thing we need around here is King Piccolo AND giant killer bugs..."

Yamcha's expression hardened, remembering the newscast he'd seen. _Then there's those explosions. According to the news, theres been more attacks, whether their bombs or not they can't say... and they'll never be ABLE to say, because they don't understand the concept of Ki energy. But who's attacking? Piccolo wouldn't sneak around like this. As for that... that Saiyan, with his monstrous powers, he would be able to cause a lot more damage than this in a shorter amount of time, without a doubt. I find it hard to believe nobody's seen whoever's responsible._

His thoughts turned back to Dr. Gero's laboratory bunker, and the shaky footage he'd showed him of Goku, calmly talking to the alien Saiyan responsible for the destruction; and the anonymous footage from the West City disaster that seemed to substantiate the damning evidence further. Some things still didn't make sense, but the overall picture didn't look good.

_We know what Goku is now... He's the same species as that alien freak. That explains everything. His inhuman power, his tail, his transformation under the full moon into that giant monkey thing... _

Yamcha swallowed, remembering how much stronger that transformation had made Goku, and how uncontrollably destructive he had been the few times when that had happend. _If that stranger did that, wouldn't he become that much more powerful, too? The world wouldn't stand a chance._

The scarfaced former bandit sighed aloud once more. The more he thought of it the more he agreed with Dr. Gero's point of view, that Goku was far too dangerous. Whatever the mad doctor's ambitions before, he was still human. More than he could say for his so-called friend, who was collaborating with the very alien that had mercilessly slaughtered who knows how many.

_What am I going to do? I never thought I'd be dragged into a situation like this_...

"So, what are we going to do?" Launch asked tensely. Yamcha glanced at her again, and shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"I don't know. Our best bet is still to go to west city, with any luck Bulma and the others will be holed up in the Capsule Corporation building. That place is pretty secure, and I doubt they would split up or evacuate in this situation. If Tien, Chiatzu, Krillin and Puar are alright, they're probably staying with her... Kami, I really hope Puar is okay..." Yamcha groaned, sinking his head into his hands.

Yamcha flinched and pulled his face away from his right hand at the cold touch of the metal, something he was still unused to. The red diode in the center of the hand stared back at him with a slight glint in the light, unnerving him even now with how out of place it was. He breathed deeply, trying to calm or distract himself.

He hadn't seen his little friend in days, not since they'd gotten seperated by the first blast in West City. Even when he'd called out to him before passing out, he couldn't hear or sense him nearby, and he was beginning to fear the worst. He remembered what Dr. Gero had told him though, that he had been drained almost entirely of his life energy from his desperation during the battle, and perhaps with his Ki drained that much he simply hadn't been able to sense far enough to detect his friend's miniature energy signal.

Launch's smaller hand on his shoulder roused him from his thoughts once again. She had that serious and determined expression she usually had as a blonde, but at the same time she was looking pityingly on him.

"Yamcha, don't worry about it. You can just get a new cat." she said, offering a smile.

"What?!" Yamcha gasped.

Launch nodded. "Sure, there are plenty of cats. Once this is all over, just go to a store and steal a kitten! Thats what I'd do. Trust me, you'll feel much better afterwards."

Yamcha's jaw dropped and he stared back at her in shock and horror, as she continued to stare back at him with an oblivious smile.

"Are you being serious right now, Launch?" Yamcha glowered.

"Idiot. That was a joke." Launch suddenly said, her expression darkening and her smile twitching into a smirk. "Stop staring at me like that, Yamcha. I had to do it. You're so damn serious looking right now, you're almost worse than Tien Shinhan."

Yamcha lowered his head to the table with a loud clunk, followed by a frustrated groan. Launch shrugged and stood up with her coffee, turning to walk out the open garage door to stand in the desert sun.

Kurou glanced over his shoulder from his mechanical work and shook his head. "Your girlfriend's sense of humor is kinda messed up, man," the mowhawked mechanic whispered to him with a smirk.

Despite himself, Yamcha let out a chuckle. "She's, uh, not actually my girlfriend..." he whispered back. He wasn't sure what they were, but they weren't _that_ right now. Yamcha flushed. _Even if she did kiss me earlier... and she's no longer dating Tien, and Bulma broke up with me... and she kissed me earlier... Uh oh, does SHE think we're dating now? Tien always said she just started following him around and stalking him after watching him fight at the tournament..._

Yamcha turned and propped his head up, watching Launch outside in the sun. She had her back turned to him and she was stretching, seeming to relish soaking up the sun's morning rays. Her outfit was the same short shorts, combat boots, tank top and fingerless gloves as it always had been, and even if it was a little tomboyish it constantly showed off her toned limbs and her nice curves. If he had to guess he'd say that the blonde half of her was the one who picked out her wardrobe.

Yamcha went red again and glanced away, realizing he'd been staring far too long. This is why Bulma had finally broken up with him... even if he wasn't terrified of girls anymore, they were still one of his obsessions.

_Would it really be that bad to be followed around by this girl, though?_ he thought absently.


	14. Chapter 14

**Human Limitations, Chapter 14:**

_Bardock was staring at him._

_His armor bloodstained and shattered, his arm still blurring down in the motion of his signature attack. He saw his father staring right at him, or perhaps through him, mouthing words he couldn't hear. The blue blast whirred through the air with a slow and deep thrumming sound, as though sound too had been affected by the inescapable slowdown of the nightmare._

_He wanted to turn around to look behind him as the brilliant blue bolt passed him to incinerate its target, but he couldn't move. He wasn't even aware of his body, but he was forced to look this way, as if a strong arm was holding his head in place, saying repeatedly LOOK, LOOK AT IT, in an angry and frustrated voice._

_Then, below, he realized, the planet Vegeta, looming like a bloodshot eye in the blackness of space. As soon as he did there was a blinding light from behind, and time seemed to decelerate further. From his vantage point he clearly saw what happened next, and he felt more than heard the scream as his father was pushed back and engulfed by the light of the blast wave, his already damaged clothes and armor peeling back like a tin can and his the atmosphere sparking and igniting into columns of flame. The deadly silence of space erupted finally into a rushing noise of confusion, and he could finally hear his father's voice, but only now as it erupted into a scream, screaming a name into the echoing vortex…._

_KAKAROOOOOT!_

Catapulted into a sitting position and dripping with cold sweat, stifling the gasp that had slipped from his throat, Raditz woke panting in the semi-darkness of the cave shelter where the two Saiyans had spent the night. He cupped his face in his hands and squeezed at his eyes, willing away the sensation and getting back to reality.

"Damn it. That's the damned dream again." Raditz hissed, gritting his teeth.

For the past several months, this exact dream plagued his rest during the long flights through space, on more than one occasion spoiling his mood before a purge, when normally he should have been enjoying the chance to stretch his muscles and cut loose a reckless blast of energy. He dreamed a lot of things, but none of them made sense to him and they all ended up the same way, with the destruction of planet Vegeta by that damned meteor storm…

Maybe it was just him losing his nerve for going against Freeza, or perhaps he was losing his mind after all, but there was no way he could let the Prince catch on. If Vegeta thought he was no longer a capable warrior, he might decide he was more of a liability, after all.

_What would father think if he could see me now? Unnerved by a nightmare? Am I a Saiyan warrior or aren't I?_ The eldest son of Bardock laughed, somewhat self-deprecatingly. He shook his head, privately ashamed of himself as he thought over and tried to rationalize the dream.

_For that matter, why the hell would father call out Kakarot's name and not mine?_ Raditz pondered with some annoyance, despite realizing it was ridiculous.

On the other hand, at least one good thing had come of his bizarre night-terrors, he thought as he glanced sidelong at the younger Saiyan. It was only because of this most recent dream reminding him of Kakarot that he had begun to think about him in the first place.

At any rate, vauge dreams of doom and destruction had soon been pushed from his mind minutes ago at the comical sight of his brother, splayed across both of sleeping piles haphazardly in a deep slumber. Completely innocent to the worries of the universe, it would seem. For just a moment he felt a twinge of envy towards that innocent sleeping face, but he brushed the thought aside.

"Get up, Kakarot! You've slept long enough," Raditz grumbled, giving the snoring Saiyan a light but rousing kick in the ribs.

Goku snorted and sat up, scratching his head with a look of annoyance and confusion, before the reality of the alien environment and his present company sank in, and his attitude picked up considerably.

"Hey Raditz. Today is training day, right? Thats what you said last night?" he said, a hopeful tone of anticipation in his voice.

"That's right. I'm going to show you all my tricks, little brother." Raditz nodded somewhat cockily, folding his arms over his chest. "I'll try not to fight with more than half my strength for for you, so try to at least keep up."

Goku bristled at the implied insult, but almost immediately shot back in a surprisingly good imitation of Raditz's own sneer. "Only half strength, huh? Doesn't sound like much fun, but alright. Hey, If I win do I get a prize?"

"Win? Little brother, it's a bit early in the day for you to be even imagining winning _against me_. But with that said, I like your style," Raditz smirked, narrowing his glare at the younger Saiyan. "Now get ready, time is wasting!"

"Yeah, just hold on for a few minutes while I warm up..." Goku sighed and stretched.

Raditz smirked as the younger Saiyan immediately leaped off the flat grey cot and began his morning routine of stretches.

"That's the spirit," he chuckled, following suit on his own. _I'll whip you into shape, Kakarot. And while I'm at it, I'll show you the proper way to respect your older brother and an elite warrior!_

The previous day, Raditz had wasted no time in welcoming him at his crash landing site, the coordinates of which had led him to land in a stretch of wide open badlands miles long in a wide swath, seemingly uninhabited by the native beasts, and also seemingly rare on this planet, and now marked by a large crater from his landing as well. The two of them decided this would be a good enough place to make camp, and found a small cave, little more than an indent in the rocks, where they could pile leaves together to make sleeping space for two. As a child Goku had been more than used to this sort of situation when camping in the wilderness, and his sense of adventure was making it practically impossible for him to contain himself. He did, however, refrain from bothering Raditz with it too much, as he had found that the older Saiyan did not hold interest in such things, and lost patience with him after too much excited talking.

Deep space was unlike anything he could have imagined; Goku's mind reeled at the strange sights hidden just beyond the comparatively plain and orderliness of Earth's solar system. It was the first morning waking up on Zenark, the medium sized jungle planet Raditz had chosen for their meeting and their first stop before eventually meeting up with the other Saiyans. The thick foliage that seemed to consume the planet in its tangle was such a dark green that it was almost black except for some large, poisonous looking luminescent flowers that hung from the branches like garlands. The dense, foggy air was at all times extremely humid and uncomfortably warm, with the exception being that at night the temperature and moisture in the air dropped considerably, and sometimes it snowed seemingly at random. From time to time the planet's surface seemed to shake, but it seemed to be a normal occurence for there to be mild earthquakes on planet Zenark. The enormous and varied population of reptillian beasts on the planet were astonishing even to Goku, who had grown up in and around jungle species, and was used to weirdness. Above all, Goku realized that his body seemed heavier and slower than before, which Raditz had explained to him as being a result of the slightly higher gravity.

Their first night together on the planet had been uneventful, and they two of them had each hunted on their own and withing ten minutes or less brought back whatever they could to eat, seared to a crisp over a pile of superheated stones in the way Raditz had shown him. Raditz even tried some food slowly smoked over a firepit in the Earth style and found the taste to his liking. The previous night's hunt had ended it what amounted to an eating contest, and in the end they didn't end up knowing or caring who had eaten the most or the fastest, as the giant reptile meat seemed to render them as sluggish and content as a lizard themselves while they both digested.

Now it was morning, the reddish sun penetrating and reflecting through the many layers of fog rising from the distant jungle canopies casting things into a high contrast that almost hurt to look at until the sun rose a little higher. The stage was set for battle.

The two Saiyans stared eachother down as they walked out into the open space of the sparse wasteland surrounding the cave.

"Well then Kakarot, I think it's high time we put your training on Earth to the test and see just how much effort it's going to take to turn you into a _real_ warrior. See if you can follow me. Let's start with a little sparring, shall we?"

"Fine. Hand to hand is a bit of a specialty of mine." Goku boasted, smirking back excitedly.

Raditz slid effortlessly into a shoulder width stance he was comfortable with and cocked his leg forward and readied his fists, snap kicking forward several times in a rapid display that for him was almost sluggish. He followed by demonstrating some of his basic chain punches. Goku had slid into a low crouching stance of his own, but now was watching with only mild interest, as it was obvious the attacks were not intended to connect. Without warning he shot up and stopped just short of the older Saiyan's chin with his fist. Raditz quirked an eyebrow.

"Where's the follow through, Kakarot? You left me plenty of time to see that coming and dodge, you should have taken advantage there," he sighed, as Goku glared back at him.

"Isn't that the same as what you're doing? If you're not going to put any effort into fighting me, why should I?" Goku growled back.

Raditz looked at his brother with a glimmer of interest. He could see clearly now the Saiyan instinct working in him, what the Prince would call pride in his battle prowess. As well as the adrenaline.

"I told you before we started, I'd only fight you with half my power. That should be enough for you for now, little brother," he sneered back, shoving the fist aside. Goku stumbled back slightly before righting himself, but he didn't look any less eager or aggressive.

"What is this, basic training? Trust me, I know what I'm doing when it comes to fighting. I want to fight already!"

Raditz scowled. "Oho. So you think your meagre fighting skills are enough just because you've been through a few skirmishes? That might get you killed in the future."

"Maybe I'll surprise you, Raditz. The Earth has some pretty strong guys, after all," the younger Saiyan shot back. He already discarded his weighted shirt, as well as training bands and boots. He was serious.

Raditz kept the smirk and cracked his knuckles fiercely on one hand at a time, removing his scouter to avoid damaging it. It was already turned off anyways, since they weren't supposed to use scouter communication on their secret base planets anyways.

"Are you prepared for this?"

Goku smirked confidently. "I didn't come all this way _not_ to fight you."

Raditz moved like a blur, fist slamming into Goku's stomach and knocking him back. The younger Saiyan just barely tensed in time to avoid taking full damage, but even on guard the blow staggered him considerably. Raditz himself prevented him from falling by grabbing his hair and pulling him back to his feet before he tipped backwards.

"ARgh, that hurts!" he yelped as his hair was tugged sharply.

"On your feet, Kakarot! A Saiyan warrior cannot take a knee except in defeat!" Raditz snapped, but loosened his grip somewhat. Goku panted for air and rubbed his stomach, glaring up at him while he dangled by the hair. His toes touched the ground, but he swayed as though he was going to fall over in exhaustion.

"That wasn't a fair hit, you didn't say we were starting yet," he groaned.

"What are you, a child?! You asked for my full strength, and you got it!" Raditz barked angrily. "In a real fight we wouldn't even be having this conversation, because nobody sets limits like that! I could have kept hitting you until you were dead!"

The younger Saiyan was still clutching his stomach and looked severely winded, but Raditz waited a moment longer for him to regain his strength before stepping back to let him stand under his own power. Goku hit the ground almost immediately afterwards and took a knee, clutching his stomach still and groaning.

"You'll live, Kakarot. Saiyans are built for taking hits like that. Just give it a few minutes and breathe," Raditz said, somewhat quieter. He almost felt bad for allowing himself to go all out. "Still, I warned you about my full strength, didn't I?"

"Yeah... you did, heheh," Goku laughed uncomfortably throught the pain. "And you were right. I guess I just had to try it for myself. I wanted to know what it would feel like if I got hit by the strongest opponent I've ever met. I couldn't resist the chance..."

"You're attempting to flatter me, I think," Raditz smirked back, joining him in a brief laugh. "Just remember you have to earn the right to brag, and you'll do fine."

After a few moments, the younger Saiyan was able to get up with a determined effort and they resumed sparring, Raditz now refraining from using his full strength, but still putting the pressure on by forcing his younger brother to work hard and dodging and blocking. Fighting at only 60% seemed like a good balanced approach for the moment, as the added ten percent difficulty forced his brother to fight back harder without putting him at too much risk.

"Now that's much better," Raditz noted approvingly, as Goku picked up the pace. As of yet however he hadn't landed a solid blow on Raditz's body like he had on him. The battle continued in intensity like the younger Saiyan had never before experienced from a training match, not even his life and death battle against Piccolo had felt this rough, or had he felt so outclassed by his opponent. In the space of minutes that followed scrapes, cuts, and painfully swollen bruises were becoming increasingly prevalent in any area of his arms or legs that deflected or blocked a blow from Raditz. They had been going like this for ten minutes almost, just their arms and legs crashing against each other, with Raditz deflecting every blow and stepping backwards, to the side, or simply swaying out of the way.

Surpising his older brother at the very first with his determination to make this a real challenge, he was able to quickly adapt his Earthly fighting style to counter his aggressive movements, and even managed to move with him to stay within striking range without getting hit. A quick check of the scouter would have determined it for sure, but without it he estimated that his power level increased another fifty points when he was angry, in addition to the hundred points from removing the weights. The difference was still measly, but it showed as his tactics became more agressive, switching from quick kung fu strikes to attempt grappling. Judo proved ineffectual, as even if he could lift Raditz off the ground he was simply able to levitate and continue the battle from there.

Even carefully holding himself back to his power level, there was still a huge difference between the two of them in physical strength, as Raditz's broad shoulders and biceps, as well as his height advantage, proved too difficult to overcome no matter what tactic he tried against him. That wasn't to say the older Saiyan wasn't challenged by the attacks, as they tested his reaction time and toughness to the nth degree, but the difference in power level was still far too severe. Raditz laughed excitedly as he swatted away a fist that from his point of view appeared to be moving almost too slow to be considered a real punch.

"Are you tiring out already? Such pathetic endurance! I'm going to have to break you down and build you from scratch." he snarled returning the punch with a quick hook from his right fist.

Almost before he had finished the movement however he noticed that his opponent was leaning just slightly backwards in anticipation of the punch and rotating the upper body and head in a quarter turn, just managing to graze past it by the nose. Raditz stared in shock, Goku was giving him an intense glare of focus the entire time as his instincts chose his path of action for him. The dodge was so fluid it was shocking, that he could move that quickly into an opening in his defence in the middle of his attack, that Raditz was caught up in simply staring at it and failed to react as he completed the movement, the quarter turn also being a wind up for a heavy punch into the armored plate of his torso that buckled the tough spongy material despite its hardness.

Raditz flinched at the impact's sting and let out a sharp cough, snapping back into reality. Goku stared back at him through one eye swollen almost shut and panting and dripping with sweat, almost in as much shock as he was, before a wide grin spread across his face.

"Hahaha! I did it! YES!" Goku crowed happily, focused glare melting completely as he jumped up and down, pumping his fist. "I finally got you back! That one makes us even. But ouch, your armor is seriously hard, I think I bruised the bones in my hand," he laughed, shaking his wrist out.

Raditz stared dumbfoundedly at the younger Saiyan's laughing antics for a long moment before joining in, and the two of them almost sounded like a pair of laughing monkeys.

"Alright, Kakarot," Raditz said after a while, plopping down on the ground next to their campfire. "I think you have some talent we can work with. That was a pretty good warmup, I actually worked up a good sweat."

"Uh, wait. Warm up?" the younger Saiyan echoed back, watching him.

"Yes. For a Saiyan first class like me, little skirmishes like that will do nothing to improve our battle power." Raditz smirked darkly, "As true Saiyan warriors, we can only reach our potential by fighting to the brink of death."

"The brink of death?" he echoed again, somewhat nervously. "How have you survived if every time you train you keep going until you almost die?"

"Didn't you know this already? Every time a Saiyan experiences near death, his battle power increases dramatically. I'm sure you've gone through something like that at least once in your life." Raditz shot back, "...after all, you got this far on your own strength. Your power level must be something like five-hundred right now, a good average, for a low class anyways. Thats a long way to come from being born at a power level of what, 10?"

Raditz laughed while Goku thought it over, appearing to be counting in his head. "To be honest, it was a good thing for me that you decided to come along with me, or else I'd probably never have a training partner."

"Why is that?" the younger Saiyan asked, deciding at that moment to join him around the campfire. Raditz chuckled.

"Saiyans are prideful, little brother. We don't like to share power. If we don't have a training partner of similiar strength who we know we can trust, we'll train on our own rather than allow the chance of somebody else getting stronger than us."

"That seems a bit backwards, you can't just do everything on your own," Goku frowned. "How do you learn new techniques?"

"We forged ourselves on the battlefield, obviously! There is no better master than life or death battle to teach you what does and doesn't work!" Raditz grinned, staring into the flickering fire. A small ki blast brought it roaring back to life again, spewing cinders into the air rapidly like a miniature volcano.

"So then why offer to train with me?"

"Obviously because we're family, fool." he scoffed.

Raditz glanced up over the fire to find Goku staring into the firepit as well. He prodded at a smaller lizard on a stick left over from last night's dinner had burnt to an inedble cinder in the blast, but that wasn't really where his mind was. Unable to read the pensive expression on the younger Saiyan's face, he simply shrugged.

"Like I said, with the two of us at a more or less even level, we can progress much more quickly using this technique. For the time being I just want to get you onto my level, and then we can fight without holding anything back. We might even get strong enough to contend with Nappa, given enough time." Raditz thought with a laugh.

"How many times have you trained to the brink of death?" Goku asked suddenly. Raditz stopped laughing and thought over the seriousness of the question.

"Thats hard to say, really. Before you came along, Nappa was closest to me in strength, but still too powerful to train with without it being a waste for him. Maybe he's worried about being outstripped by me, if he gives me the chance, but if I tried this training method he'd probably try to kill me first for trying to steal his spot as the Prince's favorite," Raditz muttered broodingly, but not without humour. "But on the other hand, that's good training for me to get to the brink of death, as well..."

"How strong is he again?" Goku asked again suddenly, "This Nappa guy I mean."

"Around 5,000 battle power, and physically he's a giant. You don't want to get on his bad side, trust me," Raditz snorted, recalling the tempermentality of the bald brute.

"So... If I want to fight him evenly when we meet, I have to get about five times stronger than you, huh?"

Raditz's jaw dropped. "What!? Is that some kind of joke? You seriously think you can improve that much in only a year of training!"

Goku leaned forward. "I'm serious. You said if we trained to the brink of death against eachother, we could get way, WAY stronger in a short amount of time. I want us both to do that and get five times stronger."

Raditz shook his head. "You fool, don't you think if it was that easy, EVERYONE would do it? Have you even considered the possibility you might simply die of injury after fighting too hard? Even with a healing tank and a medic, it's risky. We don't have either of those out here!"

The younger Saiyan suddenly smirked. "We don't need any of those things. I've got something even better," he said, reaching into his belt and removing a small leather pouch.

Raditz watched curiously as Kakarot tipped the contents of the bag over, producing a few small, green lumps that looked like ungrown Saibamen to him, although he knew they couldn't be that. Placing the rest back in the bag, he popped just one between his teeth and crunched loudly before swallowing. Raditz's eyes widened as without warning Goku's muscles twitched and bulged just slightly, only a few milimeters or more but still visibly, and even more shockingly every scratch and cut instantly repaired itself, and bruises faded to normal coloration, even the swelling and perspiration of battle vanished completely. If he didn't know better, he'd say he hadn't been training hard at all just a minute ago.

"What... what was that?" Raditz gaped in shock.

"It's called a Senzu bean." Goku smirked, tossing one to Raditz before tucking the bag securely back under his belt. "They're a sacred treasure, only grown in a secret place. They have incredible power hidden in them, they can heal just about any wound, and they're supposed to keep you fed for days. I once got blasted through the lung by Piccolo and came back fighting fit , all thanks to these cool little beans. So what do you think? Will the plan work now?"

Raditz grinned savagely. "Through the lung, huh? Kakarot, I think training with you just got a lot more interesting. The Prince will definitely be surprised when he sees us again. Actually... With these, we might even be strong enough to train alongside Prince Vegeta!" Raditz laughed out loud with a thrill at the idea of getting that much stronger.

Goku grinned back just as excitedly. "Really?! Isn't he like three times stronger than that Nappa guy?"

"Well, I think if he was pushed he could go further, but essentially, yeah. How many beans have we got?"

"There were twelve in the bag, but I just used one right now so there are only ten left, counting the one I just gave you. They don't grow a full crop very fast, so twelve is all I grabbed,"

"That should be more than enough for our purposes, but I think we should save one or two for a scientist I know of," Raditz mused, turning over the tiny bean in his hand, before tucking it safely into a the fold of his red armband.

"A scientist? Why give one to them if they're not even going to fight?" Goku said puzzled. Raditz rolled his eyes and continued with a laugh.

"To study it, of course! If we could somehow replicate this power, and add it to our healing tanks back at Vegeta Base one, we might gain a real advantage over Freeza's forces..."

"What's this about a Vegeta base?" Goku interrupted. Raditz blinked, then remembered who he was talking to.

"That's right, you've never been there. Vegeta Base one, formerly Freeza planet number Sixty-six until he gave it to Vegeta, as a 'reward for his services'. It's our main operations base, located far from here on a dead planet that Freeza gave to Vegeta to rule. It's an ugly planet, though. More of an insult than a reward. Anyways, its out of the way of other bases and not convienient, so its just been the three of us there, some scientists and staff officers who keep out of our way... and whoever feels like coming around to pick a fight with the Prince from time to time," Raditz sighed.

"Pick a fight?" Goku echoed in confusion. "I don't understand. Why would Freeza let his soldiers pick a fight with you guys? I mean, he still thinks you're his subordinates or whatever, right?"

"Not like that, Kakarot. It's not open war on their part, just childishness."

"Okay... Now I'm more confused than before."

"I think you'll understand better once you actually _meet_ the Prince..." Raditz trailed off, laughing uncertainly, "His personality is, well, abraisive to most people."

The confused look on the younger Saiyan was interrupted by a loud growl of his stomach. Raditz chuckled along with him at that. "Thats right, we haven't eaten breakfast yet..." Goku added.

"I thought those beans were supposed to keep you full for days?" Raditz laughed questioningly.

"Well yeah it does, if you eat like a human that is!" he grinned back, scratching his wild hair.

The two brothers shared another hearty laugh before flying off into the jungles in search of food. Meanwhile, the seemingly inactive scouter left behind ticked and whirred as a secret mechanism processed certain information.


	15. Chapter 15

**Human Limitations, Chapter 15:**

_West City. The three ex-bandits assemble._

The three stayed one night in the desert, resting and recuperating strength as best they could under the tense circumstances. As soon as the repairs were complete, the three of them set out at top speed to West City. By the time they arrived it was just after mid morning, and the temperature was starting to rise, combined with the sunlight glaring off of everything seemed to forebode as they approached. The surroundings were eerily quiet as it appeared now that most of the city had been evacuated. In-between the pristine white architecture the streets were empty and silent save for the presence a few swirling bits of trash like tumbleweeds picked up in passing dust devils, and the crunch of broken glass underfoot. There was no sound of vehicles or life anywhere, and their engines echoed like a scream as they passed between the rows of buildings.

Yamcha cut the ignition and yanked the keys out, stowing them carelessly in his borrowed jacket pocket, and touched down on cracked asphalt, but what should have been familiar ground had been replaced with a sinister wasteland, a complete doppelganger to the city he used to know, littered with blown out glass windows and the stench of fear.

Launch leaped from her seat as well, trademark submachinegun in hand, followed by Kurou from his own gyrocycle, hand drifting nervously to his gun holster. The dark, mohawked man glanced around uncomfortably before sidling up to Yamcha. Yamcha himself momentarily gripped the gunmetal-grey wrist of his right arm, confident enough in its own stopping power if the need arose.

"Something is off, guys... Stay alert." Yamcha murmured almost under his breath, the almost suffocating silence compelling him to a near whisper at first.

"No way they could have evacuated all of West City this quickly! Nowhere around here is prepared for that many refugees..." Launch completed the thought for him, glancing askew at him.

Kurou paced forward and turned his head slowly back and forth across the street, like he was combing the area for some hidden clue. He took in a slow breath and let it out shakily, turning his neck stiffly to give a pointed look to the both of them.

"They didn't run." he ground out in a somber tone."Or if they did they ran out of town on foot. The parking garage is full." he tilted his head to the right and indicated, and Yamcha took a sharp breath in as he caught the gleam of windows and hubcaps in the upper levels.

"Shit." he cursed, fists clenched. "So whatever happened after the riots here happened too suddenly for them to move? Then that means..."

Kurou finished his thought for him.

"Something else has to be going on here. Maybe they're scared and hiding, or..." he winced, "...And I don't even like to think this, but... maybe it's like you said before, about that creepy crawly, sucking people up through a straw..."

"No way, Yamcha already killed it, back in Gingertown..." Launch shot back with a growl. "That thing was definitely torched, right?"

"That's only one accounted for... There could be a few more where that came from..." Kurou growled back. The two of them readied their firearms nervously, eyes darting at shadows.

"That's... not possible, right?" Launch laughed nervously. "Giant bugs don't grow on trees, man."

"Yeah, they do, they grow in nests, all bunched up together with loads of egg sacs." he hissed back.

"Yeah, well, the really big bugs take way longer to grow and don't come in egg sacks, they grow underground. Like potatoes. I learned about it in school." Launch scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Do some research, Kurou bro."

"That is a load of bullshi-"

"Enough! Guys. This kind of chatter isn't helping any of us think clearly." Yamcha quickly cut them off, gritting his teeth. He didn't want to consider that possibility longer than he had already. "Remember, we're not here on a bug hunt. We're here to investigate and find Bulma, or anybody else who can tell us what the hell is going on. We're working under the assumption that they're alive and safe, down in some shelter. Got it?"

"Wait, if we're looking for a shelter, then "I don't think this whole place even has any power, though." Launch said thoughtfully, pointing towards a nearby traffic light. In fact not a single electronic display appeared functional. "How have they been broadcasting until now?"

Startled, Yamcha reached for the dial on the gyrocycle indicating the radio, and dialed it about for a while, getting garbled static for a few moments, then finding the right channel. The canned voice reading out emergency warnings came through stronger, along with the blaring emergency warning siren.

"Kurou, You said they were still sending out emergency broadcasts?" he asked to confirm, receiving a curt nod in response. Yamcha's expression clouded thoughtfully.

"That means the signal is coming from somewhere with emergency generators strong enough to power the station in case something happened to the plant." Kurou paused, brow furrowing in thought. "Capsule corporation has one, so does the mayors office on the other side of town... and there's one more under the hydroelectric facility on the north side."

The other two nodded. Yamcha took another breath and worked his jaw, swallowing. "Three possible locations, huh... but it would be dangerous to split up if anything is lurking about. It would be a big mistake to ignore that possibility..."

"Maybe our last mistake." Kurou gloomily added.

"It would also be a mistake to waste time sneaking around, if there was an alien creature hunting after survivors." Launch spat back. "I thought this was a rescue mission, not an all day tour. If we have to investigate three points on a triangle at opposite ends of this huge city, on foot for stealth in case there are any bugs hiding in the woodwork, it'll be nightfall before we make any damn progress. And I only have the one pair of night-vision goggles, boys."

Kurou stared at the blonde bombshell bandit, brows raised in bemusement. "Well, that's convenient for you, with the power is down. You usually carry night vision goggles with you?"

"Yeah, what of it?" she shot back casually.

"You, uh... You do this sort of thing often, then? Dangerous missions?" Kurou asked, awkwardly shifting under the small woman's glare. Kurou was nearly twice her height and bulk, but even he shied away cautiously when her gun-sights drifted carelessly close.

"Something like it." Launch huffed, turning and walking a bit away.

"Fine, I won't ask. She has a point, though." Kurou reluctantly assessed. "We do have some communicators packed, though. The range should cover the whole city, so long as we don't head under any tunnels, and we can keep each-other abreast of the situation. if there's trouble, we can all converge quickly."

"No. This is a bad idea." Yamcha cut them off abruptly, drawing his hand through the air in frustration. "This is only going to lead to one of us getting cornered! It doesn't matter if it takes longer, it's safer if-"

"Keep in mind we're already on a timetable. If we're assuming the people we're looking for are hiding in some panic-room and can't leave, about how long do you think it would take a group of intelligent roaches to track them down and eat through the doors?" Launch asked simply, almost mockingly, glaring up at him as if to demand he back down and let her lead. Yamcha had to concede this point to her.

"It would be faster for me to come to you." Yamcha sighed at last, drawing their attention back to him.

"You're both right, we've dragged our feet planning long enough. But we do this my way. We get in, we find anyone, or any information we can, and we get out. Constant contact, non-negotiable. Got it?"

Kurou nodded, followed slowly by Launch.

"If we run into a snag... if the worst has happened here, we're cutting our losses. And if ... _If_ there's a swarm, I'll hold them off, and you both go on without me, find someone-."

Launch slammed her fist suddenly on the side of the cycle, startling him with the loud thump. "No way, scarface. That plan is unacceptable. You think I'm going to run with my tail between my legs at the first sign of trouble?"

Launch pulled the bolt action on her sidearm noisily and gave a confident smirk. "Not freaking' likely."

Kurou hesitated a moment, then nodded as well, with a determined frown, one hand on the barrel of his gun. "I second that. Aliens are running rampant, cities are being evacuated, martial law is in effect and nobody knows what the hell is happening. We're _all_ in danger, no matter what we do. We can't not do something about it. We've come this far already. Besides, you may be strong, but we both have skills that can help you more than just fighting here."

Yamcha let out a shuddering breath and faked a smile. "Alright, fine. We're all in the same boat." he said, then let it slip into a more serious expression. "But you know, there's no guarantee little guns will work against something with such a thick shell. They have acid weapons, they're fast, and they're tricky bastards, if they're like what I saw before. Just in case though, one of you take the shotgun. It has more stopping power than an automatic."

"Give it to Kurou then, that would knock me off my feet. I have some explosive charges capsulized in case of emergencies. Safe-cracking, usually... but I'm good at improvising." Launch snickered, resting her semi-automatic piece on one shoulder. Kurou gave an aside glance at the petite blonde, and you could practically see the questions forming in his head, but he didn't voice any this time.

Yamcha handed off the bag of supplies he and Launch had collected and the spare shotgun ammo.

"Alright then. I'll head to capsule corp, since I know the inside best." Yamcha swallowed nervously, thinking of Bulma somewhat wistfully.

"Oh! Oh! Dibs on the Mayor's office." Launch said, raising her hand excitedly. "I've been meaning to knock that joint over, and now is the perfect time, without any security-"

"Launch? Focus." Yamcha sighed, rubbing his forehead. Launch froze, then let out an awkward laugh.

"Right, right, sorry. What I meant to say is, even if the nobody is in the safe-room, I can like, totally hack the city mainframe system and find any recent communications."

"That's better. That'll be your job, then. Kurou, you can take the last one, maybe your mechanical skills can do something about the power supply. Capsulize the vehicles ... and lets get this over with."

"Yeah, yeah. Your pep talks leave a little to be desired, fearless leader." Launch huffed, but followed orders anyway.

...

Despite himself, Yamcha felt a little more at ease away from the others. Looking over at the two standing in front of him, discussing strategy like it was the most natural thing in the world. From his position, they seemed ridiculously confident in their assignments. Strange, how he used to think of himself as being a strong person. At least with them gone he didn't have to hold back as much. On open road he could cut loose and run almost as fast as a motorcycle, and it was a lot less likely to attract attention. In hindsight he regretted roaring into town like he did, but at least he didn't sense any strange energy nearby. At his full speed, after a bit more rest, he settled into a sprint at a just bearable speed that got him there in just under ten minutes, without crashing into anything. The added weight from his arm didn't bother him as much anymore, which he took as a good sign towards his recovery.

Slowing down to find his bearings, he made several quick turns and skidded to a halt at the back of the Capsule Corps compound, choosing to hop the meters high fence. Might as well, since nobody was around to complain. He also reflected briefly that it didn't matter if he himself wasn't that stealthy from now on, since he was strong enough to handle himself as long as he didn't need to worry about protecting anyone at the moment. Catching his breath, he tapped quickly on the earpiece communicator Kurou had lent him and it made a soft beep only he could hear.

"Reporting in. I just made it to the main building. Looks like the place isn't damaged like the rest of the city, going in to investigate. You guys copy that?"

"_Yeah, I hear you." _Launch's whisper came in clearly, sounding bored. "_Didn't run into any trouble yet, just got here and I'm looking for the right computer server in all these cubicles. I hate office jobs. I'm keeping this line open just in case, you should too."_

_"_Okay, good. Kurou?" Yamcha asked, walking steadily around to the side yard, peering in the windows of Bulma's guest suite, where the group usually met instead of the laboratory, back when they got together a lot more... It wouldn't hurt to check quickly. The windows were dark and there was no activity in there. He checked the lock and broke in easily.

"Kurou, did you hear me?" Yamcha asked more urgently.

"_Roger that_." Kurou's voice, staticky and echoing but recognizable, chimed in. "_Sorry, I had to pass through a tunnel. I'm not there yet, the road I wanted was blocked. There's a ten car pileup over on this side of town towards the freeway, and a lot of cars, but it thins out progressively. Looks like a lot of cars were abandoned right on middle of the road, maybe people realized they couldn't get out this way and booked it in the opposite direction_."

_Shit. _Yamcha thought, clenching his jaw. "Okay, well, we anticipated this. Are there any clothes?"

"_What? Repeat that?" _Kurou grunted, static interfering again.

"Clothes. As in people, y'know, any sign of what we were talking about before." Yamcha repeated slowly.

"_Right, creepy crawlies." _Kurou drawled. "_No, nothing. Unless they've started picking up their laundry now, we're looking at something else entirely. I hope Launch cracks the system and finds something quick, so we know more about what we're dealing with."_

_"HEY, I'M DOING MY BEST WITH WHAT I'VE GOT, PUNK-" _Launch whisper shouted back, faint typing audible over the com link. "_How about you hurry up and get your slow ass to the hydro-electrics plant before complaining about my speed, you bald-sided muscle-brain?!"_

_"_Good work you two." Yamcha said, twisting a knob to lower the volume on his earpiece drastically just as Kurou started his in-dignified response.

The scar-faced cyborg let out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. _I'm not sure if that's good news or not. It's not the bugs, but it's something else? What happened here? _He arrived at the last room of the guest suite, lost in thought.

His eyes immediately snapped wide open, shocked. "I found something."

_"What?" _Launch and Kurou both answered at once. Yamcha quickly strode through the room, picking his way through the debris on the floor, to the balcony adjoining wall of the upstairs. The balcony, window and much of the wall and floor had been stripped away, but not in any ordinary manner. Reinforced steel beams had been blown apart and melted, vaporized even, along with other modern materials without disturbing much else of the room.

"Somebody blew a massive hole in the upstairs floor of the guest rooms. It doesn't look anything like normal explosives, more like an energy blast. A very powerful one"

"_Energy? Knowing you guys you don't mean energy like plasma or thermite_, _you mean energy as in, somebody's Ki?" _Launch asked, sounding curious.

"Yeah. You guessed it." Yamcha said morosely. _This keeps getting better and better._

"_Can you tell anything else about what happened from looking at the explosion?" Kurou's deep voice interjected. "Anything you can find from inspecting the ballistics that might reveal more about the scene?"_

Yamcha momentarily frowned at the overly specific wording, but shrugged it off as Kurou's manner of speech being overly formal when he was serious.

"Yeah. The impact looks like it came from the side, and glanced off on the way towards the main building... No, wait, then why does it look like it curved this way? And the main building isn't damaged... That can't be right..." Yamcha paused, thinking about every way he'd seen Ki used in the past, and how it applied here, suppressing the rising panic in the other parts of his brain.

"Somebody scraped the wall off with a single sweep with _another wall _of Ki. Somebody who could use their Ki like this could have easily done a LOT more damage than this with a concentrated beam. There's no blood, no other signs of a struggle, and no shrapnel. They were aiming to break in here, without hurting whoever was inside." Yamcha followed the logic, dreading the conclusion even as he arrived at it.

"They were after Bulma, and they took her."

There was momentary silence and muffled curses from both ends of the line respectively. Yamcha's mechanical fist rattled and he realized he'd been squeezing the fingers together so hard the metal was beginning to squeal slightly. A moment later he realized he non mechanical left hand was bleeding where his nails dug into his palms. He opened his shaking fists and held them upwards towards his face, his composure already shaken and now fleeting as he looked down at his palms, one with gleaming beads of red blood welling up to close the wound, and the other with a single large diode in the palm's center, catching the light like a blood ruby.

"God... DAMN IT!" He let out a roar and threw his hands both into the metal beam with a ringing crash that shook him more than it did the house, smearing his blood with one aching hand and denting the beam with the unfeeling other. Conflicting and terrifying emotions he'd held back for the past few nights surged out uncontrollably as he drove his metal fist into the beam again and again, until his shoulder ached where the normal flesh connected.

He didn't realize he was crying out loud until a few long moment later when Launch spoke up.

"_Yamcha, it's okay. Pull yourself together." _she said, causing him to snap out of his trance. "_You haven't searched the rest of the compound. There's no time for this. You said yourself whoever did this didn't want her hurt. You will find Bulma. We will, together. But you can't lose your head in a situation like this. Remember who is counting on you."_

Blinking and shuddering, Yamcha listened to the voice and almost ridiculously the thought occurred to him that he'd never heard her this gentle outside of her blue-haired persona.

"_Yamcha, are you still there? Can you hear me?" _

"Yeah... yeah, I read you loud and clear..." Yamcha said, clearing his throat. "I just... I just need a minute to get my head on straight."

"_Take your time and cool off, then. We'll keep working._" Kurou responded matter-of-factually.

The scar-faced man felt a flush of shame creep up the back of his neck, followed by a faint twinge of anger. He clenched his right hand for a few moments, then let go with a sigh.

"You're right, of course. I'll search the rest of this place and find the safe-room and the generator. If anybody is still here that's where they'll be." Yamcha said quietly, in a false calm.

"_Alright..." Launch trailed off, and the typing continued. "I'll let you know if I find anything here."_

Leaping through the hole in the wall, Yamcha accelerated through the air until he touched down in front of the main entrance of the facility. The sliding doors were inoperative, but it only took a moment to pry open the thick shatter resistant glass and squeeze in. The security seemed inactive inside the labyrinthine lab, as he turned and took the stairs downward. After a while of working at it he managed to he pry open a few more thoroughly reinforced doors, feeling a bit worn out in the process however he reached a section with flickering fluorescent panels.

"_You alright? I heard you struggling with something. Not normal for someone as tough as you_." Launch chimed in again between the muffled keystrokes.

"Yeah, its just these security doors are made with people like me in mind. I'm heading towards the top secret project area where the highest security was. From what Bulma told me, there should be a safe-house build to house around five hundred people. Her father had it built after the King Piccolo disaster..." he paused panting, grunting to pry open another double layered steel door. the rails squealed as he forced the frozen mechanism to move. He kept talking as he worked, mostly to distract himself.

"Five hundred isn't nearly enough for the whole city, but it would still help in an emergency. The whole thing is supposed to be self contained including an air recirculation system that lasts a long time before the air becomes unbreathable, so there aren't any weak points from air vents that could be exploited..."

Yamcha groaned as he saw the branching paths ahead of him, the medium sized room leading off into four different hallways. "There are a lot of rooms down here... this could take a while."

"_I've found the saferoom at the power plant. It's unoccupied. I'll see about getting the power back on for you so you can work the intercoms." _Kurou's voice broke in on the earpiece, coming in slightly muffled and quiet through the walls of the building. "_I wouldn't go any deeper in right now, if I were you. You're breaking up, and don't want to lose contact here."_

"Right. Guess I'll just sit on my thumbs and wait, then." Yamcha groaned.

A loud clank suddenly sounded and startled him, and he whirled in time to see the doors behind him slam shut on their own one at a time, too quickly for him to react with anything but shock. From the ceiling, some panels opened up and some tubes dropped down. It took less than a second for his brain to register the hiss of gas filling the room.

"_Yamcha? What was that sound?!" _Launch shouted static into his ear, shocking him into motion.

"The doors just locked on their own and set off some kind of gas trap!" Yamcha screamed, rushing for the opposite door before it could close and wedging his metal hand between the gap. It crunched down with incredible force that would have torn his arm off had he not already lost it. "Argh... S-somebody is in here with me, and they aren't friendly!"

With a sharp tug with all his strength behind it, he managed to push back on it long enough to wedge his elbow, and then the rest of his body through the gap before it slammed shut. As the doors passed his body it pinched the hem of his upper clothes, tearing a swath instantly as he tumbled to the hard floor.

"Fuck, that was close." he panted for breath, trembling from the pain of over exerting himself. Whatever that gas was couldn't have been good news for him.

Getting shakily to his feet, he tapped the com link on his ear to boost the signal. "I made it out before the gas got me, but now I'm trapped inside. I can't get back this way without going through the gas. I'll try and find a control console and find the way out on my own, but the two of you need to stay far away from Capsule Corp! Whoever is in here with me is bad news."

There was no response but garbled static from the other end of the line, and Yamcha realized with dismay that inside these walls he had absolutely no means of communicating with his friends on the outside, or warning them of whatever he found here. As he looked around, he realized that the corridor opened up into many more rooms, ending in long hallways with flickering fluorescent fixtures over metal panels. It was like a maze.

_Some kind of extra security feature? Or something else?_ Yamcha's mind reeled, trying to put the pieces together and finding himself horribly out of his depth.

"God damn it, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Yamcha cursed, feeling the putrid bile of panic rising in his throat.

As if in answer to his frantic question a horrible rasping chuckle sounded, causing him to whip his head around towards the source. Nothing was there, but the sound reverberated endlessly, echoing his words mockingly from some distant point in the enormous compound.

"Hell is going on... hell is going on... hell is... hell... ell..ll... ..."

For a moment he stood there in a cold sweat, not daring to move, until from somewhere seemingly to his right there was a quiet squishing sound, like a foot stepping into something soft and wet, the sound completely alien in the hard metal of the labyrinth.

He didn't stand and fight this time. This time he ran.

...

"Yamcha! I didn't understand any of that, say again?!" Kurou yelled again, tapping his communicator call button. He could hear Launch doing the same on the other end of the line. He gave up suddenly in rage and frustration.

"FUCK!" he cursed, kicking a nearby folding chair with a horrible racket."Fuck it! I'm not letting this happen. Forget stealth, it's too late now! We have to regroup and find Yamcha!" Kurou barked into the microphone of his earpiece.

"_Right! I've already grabbed the data-disks, I'll meet you there!" _Kurou could hear the sound of a gyro-cycle un-capsulizing from the other side, and grabbed his bag of supplies and headed for the door; Suddenly however he halted, as he passed a room he had missed and something caught his eye and froze him in his tracks. Moving closer to inspect it, he felt a shudder of nausea hit him like a clammy gust of air. He searched around the area for a moment, hoping he was misunderstanding, but his hope was dashed immediately.

"Oh, no. No, no no NO!" Kurou cursed, hastily backpedaling and sprinting even faster, not even waiting until he was out the front door, un-capsulizing his own chopper and loading Yamcha's shotgun with unsteady hands.

"_What's the commotion?!" _Launch yelled, panic rising mutually.

"Shit! Remember what I said about there not being any sign of those bugs, unless they started doing their laundry? That seemed pretty FUCKING funny to me at the time!" Kurou yelled over the loud whirr of the engine.

"_Bullshit! No, you have to be fucking with me!" _Launch sounded more angry than frightened. "_How many?"_

Kurou grit his teeth and sped up. He wished he was joking. What he'd seen there, tucked and stuffed into hundreds of containers, the hundreds of shoes, sock, workers clothes... they'd been hidden away carefully, systematically folded and tucked into boxes in a part of the facility that rarely saw use. No space had been wasted. Even he would have been fooled, but they had missed something.

A single gold wristwatch caught the noon light streaming through a narrow window only at that time, lay gleaming opposite a wet spot among the shadows, that was all that had led him to it.

"Enough pairs of shoes to fit about five hundred people."


	16. Chapter 16

**Human Limitations, Chapter 16:**

Yamcha panted heavily as he rounded the corner, barely stopping his shoes from skidding across the slick metal surface that covered all the floors of the testing facility. Somehow, the underground testing portion of it seemed even larger than the dome above, but maybe that was just because it was almost pitch black. Yamcha caught his breath as much as he dared and listened for the sound of his pursuer, getting nothing for the moment.

That brought a moment of relief, at least. He sighed quietly, and slapped himself for it when the sound echoed in the total silence. For almost five minutes he stood trembling, pressed against the wall for support. The residual adrenaline still shuddered in his veins. The chase had been brief, only minutes, but it felt like hours from how close he had felt to death. He gripped his metallic arm at the base of his shoulder and shuddered. He had only sensed it's Ki for a moment, but that was enough. For almost ten minutes he'd been on the run, if you could call it that. In order to stay hidden, he was moving unbearably slow for someone of his speed, and the tension of it was slowly driving him out of his mind.

He had barely escaped by throwing a solar flare into the room behind him and suppressing his ki as best as he could, but he couldn't supress it completely and escape from the locked down facility. Every time he had to force a door, he had to use some of his Ki in a quick burst, and that would let on to his position. At that instant he would feel his enemy's ki flare as he raced towards his position, and their twisted hide and seek game continued. But he had no choice. If he simply hid and waited, no help would come, and then that thing would come for him.

It was hiding around somewhere as well, suppressing its Ki. What he _could_ sense was strong, though. It was strong enough that a little of its energy always flooded out, filling the surrounding area like a mist, and it either couldn't fully supress it or didn't know how to. As a result, he couldn't pinpoint it, but he always felt it. Almost like catching a whiff of some horrible smell and not knowing where or what it was. It was never all that far away, it was simply hiding, the same as he was.

_Well, not exactly_, Yamcha thought sullenly. _I'm the one hiding... It's hunting me. And I don't want to know what happens when I'm found._

Aside from the occasional room numbers he had passed unchecked, a larger sign just before this one had denoted this room as a 3D-printing station, and something to do with nano-metals. Yamcha had no clue as to what went on in the manufacturing of capsule tech, since he never had a mind like Bulma's. He was a fighter, and the only kind of smarts he knew was tactics. And everything about this room made him want to turn around and find someplace else.

In the air above, conveyor belts between one zone and another sat dead still, frozen in the middle of complicated activity, the many armed assembly machines casting a crisscrossing array of shadows to the floor. The room was lit only dimly by flickering tubes of fluorescence on the verge of flickering out for good, in places plunged into shadow by a broken connection, in others gleaming harshly against dead indicators and ground level control consoles. From what he could see, all four corners of the room opened by conveyor belt into different areas, all shrouded in the same flickering, inconstant half-light that filled the whole of Capsule Corp's top-secret zone. Too many blind angles for a lurking shadow to pounce from. Hundreds of different machines with strange configurations for metal-working and wiring and computer chips lined the ground floor.

Yamcha's thoughts were interrupted as he realized that in front of him was what he'd been looking for. At the end of the room was a large map, with locations labeled on it. A place as big as this had to have one, or nobody would ever find the way out. But it wasn't the way out he needed.

_My only chance is to find the emergency safe-house. _Yamcha repeated to himself like a mantra, to keep his sanity. _There's one in Capsule Corp. If I can get inside, I can survive. I can find something, a weapon, a secret way out..._

He followed the path as laid out on the directory as best he could, creeping through rooms and halls cautiously. It would have been so much easier if there was just some light.

He reached the end of the hall he'd seen on the building's layout, and found the door he'd have to pry open to get to the other half of the facility, past where was the private work-space of the head scientists, and then the safehouse. It was almost as large as the area he'd been through, and the safe-house was as large as both, but underground one level farther. Taking the surface buildings into account, it looked like the whole compound was built like a sphere submerged in the middle of the city.

The door in front of him was large and imposing, marked SECURITY CLEARANCE 2. It seemed to have locked when the entrance did The map showed this door as the only way to get to the safe-house. he gave an experimental push from the side, to no avail. No use holding back, he decided he'd have to blow the door open. Taking a step back, he took a deep breath and charged his energy as quickly as he could, reaching his peak quickly. He slid into a half-crouch and cupped his hands, and began to mutter to himself the old words.

"Ka. Me. Ha. Me... "

He forced himself to focus on controlling his energy efficiently, even as he sensed another energy rising nearby.

"HAaa!" he roared, cutting loose! Thrusting both hands forward, he let the energy form outwardly only then, taking a good chunk of his energy with it. A spread beam would have done little good against such a strong system, so he focused it until it was like a directional plasma torch- Red energy mixed in with the usual blue, he noticed with a bit of unnerve. At least this time, his right hand did the job well and without screwing it up.

He glanced over his shoulder, trying not to let panic overwhelm him again. The energy was closer than before, mere rooms away. His energy had successfully cut through the locks, leaving an inches wide gap for him to find his grip. He quickly forced the heavy door and wedged his artificial right arm in the gap while he stepped through, suppressed his power again as the door clamped shut a second time.

Unfortunately for him, it wasn't that easy to get away this time. The corridor behind him roared with light and heat as he felt the explosion of the doors, and his ears rang with the unmistakable sound of a ki blast finishing the work he'd put into the doors. It had absolutely no intention of slowing down in its search for him. Yamcha cursed under his breath and poured all his energy back into running along the course he'd forced himself to memorize. But soon enough, he once again found himself lost.

For a while, it almost felt like those bizarre footsteps were right behind him, strangely wet sounds slapping and slithering over the metal panels. He shouldered his way through several doors with no concern for safety and vaulted through multilevel-ed assembly-line rooms and looping hallways and employee lounges he was certain he'd been through twice, rushing through at a top speed faster than most capsule cars on the market, but he couldn't keep it up forever in this unfamiliar space. He had found himself in a dead end, another locked door more massive than the one before, but this one he couldn't force. Cornered, with nothing ahead of him but darkness, the light behind him.

He almost laughed when his eyes adjusted to the gloom and he saw the sign stenciled above the massive steel doors that made up the wall "Capsule Corp Emergency Safe-house," he read. Then he did laugh, perhaps because of the irony or perhaps his nerves had finally cracked under pressure, he didn't know. Without power, he couldn't work the intercoms to get in. And this door was built to keep Piccolo out.

"No, NO!" He pounded the wall with his fist in frustration, still unable to open the massive security doors. "Bulma! Dr. Briefs! Anyone! If you're in there, it's me, Yamcha! Open the door quickly, please!

No answer. Even if they could hear his pounding, his voice couldn't possibly breach the incredibly thick walls.

The energy, cloaked from a distance but growing sharper with proximity, seemed to hear him though, and stalked closer. It sensed him now, he knew. He could hear the strange shuffling, squelching sound again as it moved, picking up speed down the last stretch of hallway between them.

"No... Nowhere left to run... I have... I HAVE to fight!" he panted raggedly, turning with wide eyes and readying his fists.

He saw it then, silhouetted in the flickering sparking emergency lights then, and what he thought he saw looked completely inhuman, but terrifyingly recognizable. A shambling, crawling thing on all fours with obscenely long limbs and grasping toes and the lashing, slithering tail that slammed into the wall with a crash as it rounded the last corner after him, and then stopped, realizing the prey was cornered.

Yamcha dropped his fists and found his back slamming against the closed doors behind him involuntarily as the creature unleashed its Ki again and he began to sweat under the sweltering pressure of an aura he could never have imagined before., whatever determination he had left replaced by the growing bile rising in his throat and the pounding in his head.

_No, oh god, oh kami, oh fuck, this thing is as strong or stronger than the alien! This just isn't right! What the fuck do I do?! I sure as hell can't pull on its tail and hope it goes down like the other one!_

There was a pause as it's head crooked side to side, hissing low and harsh with almost human sounding vocal cords in a way that chilled Yamcha's blood to hear.

The tail, poised dripping some foul fluid above its torso like some sickened scorpion's, lowered for balance before it began raising unsteadily onto its hind legs, until it towered almost twice his height, no longer a shambling monster but a mocking humanoid shape. It's body was covered in the same mottled brown carapace as the insect from before, down to the strange dual-crowned cast of the head and the chitinous, blade-like wings. But it couldn't be the same. It couldn't still be alive after being incinerated like that, the whole town burning.

"What do you want from me," he groaned barely above a whisper, delirious from fear and tiredness and frustration.

"I-I killed you before, didn't I... Or one of y-your kind... You're the one that sucked up all the people in Ginger-town... and here in West City, aren't you! But you can't be the same one as before, you're too... strong...!

The thing standing there seemed to understand his fear, if not perhaps his words. It hissed low once again in a broken way that almost seemed like a quiet laugh, monstrously mirthful.

"... Do you even understand me? Talk... say something!"

He managed to step away from the wall, balling his fists. He stared down the thing, sick with the helpless frustration he felt; Sick of the humiliation he'd been put through; Sick of being chased, and completely at the end of hope. A pit of rage

... _I want ANSWERS you f-fucking freak! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?! An alien, like- like Goku and the other one?! Did HE send you here, is that it? Where the fuck did something like you come from?" _his voice broke.

The tail lashed forwards for a split instant, towards his throat! He violently flinched to the side as the stinger lodged mere inches from his throat, impaling a couple inches into the surface of the metal and scraping a thin line of blood across his cheek. A strangled sound between a laugh and a scream escaped his throat. The tail worked for a moment to get itself free, and reared back a second time for the deadly plunge. His hands flew to his face, blocking out the sight.

"_Oh god..!" he choked, "Bulma, I'm so sorry Bulma, I don't want to die,_"

... and stopped abruptly.

The monster made no further move, but a sound like a taunting laugh of its own slid from between its beak-ish mandibles, and it's shoulders twitched briefly. _Is this monster toying with me now? This is even worse than just dying._

"kekeh... You...Want... Answersss...?" It rasped slowly. Though seeming to struggle with speech, it's tone seemed to mock him all the same in its clicking, halting syncopation. "Last... Request, hmm? You... sure?"

Yamcha's body wouldn't stop shaking, but his hands slowly lowered, eyes wide.

"_You... Want to know... what I did when I... fffound herrr?"_

It chilled his blood.

The creature drew its tail back a bit, still pointed at him, and cocked it's head, and something like a gleam of recognition came into its eye as it smirked. It drew a long ragged breath inward, and let it out in a trailing, high pitched scream that was eerily feminine.

_"IT HURTS! PLEASE... NO!"_

A horrible chill traveled through him, then.

_Bulma's... voice?_

The horrible thought clicked inside his mind. Yamcha gnashed his teeth, fists shaking, as he realized the implication of the voice, of the creature's imitation of him before, of the broken walls outside with no bodies, of the creature's rampage at Ginger-town.

"What... what have you done..." Yamcha asked, throat hoarse.

"Her body... hmm, how... you would... call it... her... essence, yesss?" The creature laughed harshly after a pause. "... She... Nourished me. It was... delicious."

His blood froze over. And like ice, something inside him fractured.

_Bastard...!_

The tail thrashed and slammed the floor between them, making him flinch, but Yamcha held his ground this time, mind racing. His face twisted into a mask of rage.

_You... You fucking dare..._

He let his Ki flare up and raised his hands, yelling as loud as he could for several seconds. The creature flinched momentarily and hunched forward, hissing like an angry cat. That oppressive aura of Ki hit him like a wall of heat from an oven again, as the thing towered over him, barely yards away from him, just a human against the wall. He forced himself to not feel it and assumed his wolf stance, hands like claws and eyes wide. The creature twitched, mimicking his movements, clicking its beak rapidly with a confused look.

_This thing is still stronger than the alien, _was the thought that wouldn't stop repeating in his throbbing head. _I can't win. I'll die._

_Bulma, _said the only thought he was listening to.

Rushing forward with a howl of fury, he swept aside the tail that lashed out, predicting the attack by the predictable spike in the monster's Ki, and lashing out at every weak spot he could identify with the Wolf Fang Fist! Eyes and neck fell to finger strikes, quick and painful. The creature hissed and spat in pain, flailing its claw-tipped hands and trying to encircle him with its tail like a boa constrictor, but he leaped into the air and pushed off with rapid kicks to the stomach and chest, using its body like a step stool and flipping off to regain the distance advantage.

Every lesson from every sensei he'd ever learned under combined with his instinct honed from fighting for his life to direct his moves. A that moment he only wanted to kill the thing in front of him or die trying. He could almost hear master Roshi chiding him not to jump in combat without reason, just as he could hear Korin lecturing him on situational awareness.

Tumbling through the air and landing gracefully, he narrowly avoided another blind swipe and parrying the five that came in the next instant. The tail, failing to grab him on its first try ended up crushed under his boots as he landed. A pained snarl slid from its beak-like protrusion. It rubbed at its eyes, blinking and squinting now. Yamcha stepped to the side as he sensed a rapid build of energy, unwittingly giving away its next move before it made it.

The wide, sweeping spread of energy burst out of its mouth like a breaking dam, flooding half of the hallway with its fireball before dying down. It scraped and melted away at the metal tiles wherever it touched, but Yamcha was already dodging and countering, his right hand readying a red bolt of concentrated ki, lancing out again and again like bullets from a gun, leaving small scorches and bouncing off.

The creature hissed as he kept the pressure on, dodging its repeated mouth blasts. He couldn't keep it up like that forever, he knew, but he just needed to show it he wasn't the helpless prey it thought he was. And he needed to make it angry. It may have been insanely powerful, and possessing predatory animal cunning, but it lacked any kind of training whatsoever.

The creature shrugged off the small blasts with sudden fury, trying to rush him and knock him to the ground with a savage pounce, but he managed to roll and dodge and block. Every crushing blow he parried reminded him of Tien Shinhan breaking his leg in the tournament. Every blast he dodged reminded him the alien searing his arm from its socket with a single blast. He fought with survival instinct as much as he did his opponent, using superior skill to match its monster strength. And for every time his own fists connected, he could feel an old emotion rising in him that he had a hard time pinpointing at first.

But he remembered it's name with every crunch of his right hand on brittle, insectoid joints. It was hate, murderous hate for the inhuman thing in front of him.

Yamcha whipped his long hair out of his eyes and gave a wild yell, sneering at the infuriated reaction of his opponent, and quickly lashed out with a second volley of wolf fang fisticuffs. A feint for the eyes to make him flinch disguising a strike to the solar plexus to wind him, opening for a strike to the windpipe to stun, a kick to the back of the knee to hobble and unbalance, all coming faster than a human eye could see. A hook with a metal hand and a series of rabbit punches, bobbing and weaving around his opponents arms like a boxer, while his enemy alternately tried to grab him with both arms or claw and bite at any exposed flesh. He began taking some wounds, mostly shallow gashes from its claws or near misses from its lashing tail, but he gave as good as he got, pummeling it mercilessly in the face until his own knuckles started to bleed and change color, and deflected the worse blows with his metallic right like a shield.

Yamcha paused in attacking and resumed dodging long enough to recoup his energy, and notice something disturbing enough to put a chilling damper on his hopes.

_Damn it, as fast as I can break that tough shell, its fusing back together somehow! Even if I gouge out the eyes, they just grow back after a while! it's some kind of regeneration... Which means I have to break through and splatter this bug in one shot, and soon... my own wounds aren't going to heal that fast, that's for sure. I'm losing blood the longer this goes on!_

"Fuck! Arghh," The scar-faced ex-bandit cringed and grit his teeth as he failed to dodge a raking downward stroke that tore three rows of inch deep gouges in his chest muscle and threw him against the wall with its force. He barely shook it off and recovered in time to roll out of the way of a lethal stab from its tail that ended with the stinger embedded halfway into the wall with a crunch. _This thing is getting better at fighting against me the longer this lasts, or I'm getting sloppier at dodging. I need a plan either way, some way to finish it off._

Yamcha stepped back, blocking with both hands against a double palm heel strike from his mostrous pursuer, and the force momentarily knocked him back and off balance as his skull rattled against the hard metal of the wall, causing him to clutch his head in agony.

_Wait, of course! The head! If I crush the brain, there's nothing send orders for the body to regenerate from, right? No, but I need more power to kill this thing, it'll never work... Unless..._

Again, the creature charged up its energy, and he could see the light gathering in its mouth this time, more concentrated, more powerful than the previous attack. This would be more explosive than simply scraping and burning at their metal surroundings. It was learning more from him the longer it fought, but he already knew that. He was counting on it.

It was time. Instead of dodging the powered up, concentrated blast, he waited. The orange blast of ki ignited the air and roared out, only to be caught in the palm of his extended right hand.

Yamcha had to brace his wrist with his left hand to hold it as the explosion hit, and he skidded backwards several feet until he hit the wall The creature hissed in confusion as its attack slowly vanished, sucked into the glowing red diode.

"UOOAHHhhh..!" he screamed involuntarily in rising intensity. His voice broke off with a gasp, convulsing as power surged through him in spasms, ki pushing his muscles dangerously to their limit, causing his shirt and long coat to rip the rest of the way off, literally shedding from his body in floating strips. His ragged chest wounds pressed together and cauterized into new scar tissue instantly, and his pulse pounded faster with the increased flow of Ki in his bloodstream. He breathed in slow and deep, feeling his own Ki in the air like the charge of a lightning storm.

Finally, his fingers clasped around the core of the blast, now the size of a softball, and then crushed it out of existence with a metallic clank.

For a moment, the rush of power he felt inside him was frightening, almost painful. He shuddered, not sure if his body would hold up. But just as quickly all pain subsided, and his new aura snapped to life with a sound like a sonic boom, shimmering like fire colored bronze. His muscles stopped expanding and adjusted, becoming more compact again, but as hard as the steel grafted to his arm. This time it was the creature who was pushed back almost to the other end of the hall.

Yamcha bared his teeth savagely at the obvious look of shock on his enemy's face.

"Ohh Yeahh..." he snarled, "Now we're playing with power! Didn't mean to give me that energy, did you? Well, you can have it back now if you want..."

He flexed his left arm, tensing the muscles and then focusing his new-found Ki, pouring as much as he could into this, his finishing move. With a grunt, a sphere of energy rose out of his hand, glowing brilliant orange instead of its usual yellow, humming loudly in rapid pulses.

"HERE! TAKE MY... SOKIDAN ATTACK!"

Raising his hand above his head he cocked back and pitched it full force like the professional baseball player he'd been just weeks before his life lost all control. The blast struck home with a resounding crack, and the creature reeled, screeching in pain.

Hands moving like a blur, he directed the ball to twist and curve rapidly, diving under its attempts to block and striking from every conceivable angle to batter the monster into submission, burning it with its own Ki. He landed dozens of hits, slamming it against the walls and floor like a pinball in a machine, completely controlled by his rapid attack, and he could now feel its energy starting to drop as he raised the ball to drop it again and again on the back of its brain-case, just waiting to hear the crack. He started to strain with the effort of manipulating so much energy, but it was working...

_It's working! I can kill it with its own power! Die... Die, you piece of-_

And then it all came screeching to a halt. A stabbing pain in his abdomen broke his concentration and knocked the wind from his lungs as the creature's tail rapidly extended, growing extra feet in length to catch him by complete surprise.

It pinned him against the wall, the sharp tip of the tail twisted inside his punctured body that moments ago had felt as strong as steel, invincible. The enraged creature rose before him again and glowered hatefully down at him.

Yamcha screamed. Not in terror or rage like before, but in sheer blinding pain. The instant after he was pinned against the wall by its tail, the pain intensified, coupled with his energy rapidly fleeing his body, along with a quantity of his blood. He felt a tingling burning sensation, and he could see his flesh slowly deforming inwards, the sensation spreading outwards and down.

_The acid! It's dissolving me from inside and sucking me up! Son of a bitch!_

The sensation was unbelievably agonizing, but for some reason screaming was difficult. He was in shock.

"UUAAAAAGH!" Yamcha writhed, clutching at the tube impaling him. He tried desperately to pull his Ki back into him with his right hand, but it couldn't stop the blood from flowing out of him. After only a moment the creature realized what was happening and wrenched his arms aside, pinning his hands to the wall as well, and he could to nothing but stare into the face of his death.

The hideous leer twisted into the mocking smile from before, if you could even call it that with the freakish mandibles. The hiss slowly returned to being a rasping chuckle, and then increased in volume until it became a peal of inhuman, hateful laughter.

The creature stared directly into his eyes now shining with some perverse glee.

"Keh_... _I... underestimated... Your reaction... strong... hateful_... good..." _ it's voice rattled haltingly, in a freakish sort of laugh; "But not good _enough_... how sad... for you... and how fortunate... for me..."

Yamcha bit his tongue to keep from crying out again. _Am I really going to die like this, despite everything?_

_"_Yyyou sssee... I am ssstill weak... hhmm_," _the thing hummed, choosing its words,_"_Not-ready for hatching. My body... Corrupted... I _needed you_... your... _full_ power, to nourish me..." it trailed off in a lengthy hiss. "You... ssserved a higher purpose. You ssshould rejoice... worthless meat."

_Fuck you. I don't want this to be the last thing I hear before I go, you fucking windbag..._

The slow sucking continued, and he felt his muscles begin to wither as the sensation covered his entire body working its way up to his neck. There was almost no pain anymore. He couldn't be more than moments before death.

As Yamcha's vision started to fade_, _he was dimly aware of the broken lights flickering and growing brighter in the background.

_So Kurou and Launch got the power on at last... heh... that would have been useful... about five minutes ago..._

The sound of a pressure locked door coming undone ripped through the silence, and a world of sound broke through the haze in his brain, muffled at first by the massive doors.

"...what? The main power just came back online!" A woman's voice sounded from somewhere to cut the tension, and Yamcha suddenly recognized it, his heart leaping to his throat. _Bulma?_

"But I haven't finished rerouting the lines here! Someone on the outside must have done something t-"

"YAMCHA!" A gruff voice yelled, cutting off the voice in the middle.

The creature spun suddenly, releasing him to fall to the ground, gasping. As he hit the ground, he saw Krillin and Dr. Briefs standing in the opening door of the bunker, carrying some heavy looking piece of equipment between them. And behind the two of them, Bulma stood, wiring kit dropping from her hands as a look of pure astonishment showed on her face, her hair escaping one lock at a time from a ponytail that was untidy and frazzled from long work hours and stress. She was bandaged as much as Krillin was, but it looked like she had already gotten a senzu bean. Yamcha couldn't tell if she was happy to see him like this or not, but frankly he didn't care at that moment. To him, bleeding out on the floor of her father's lab, she looked like an angel.

"Sshe's still aliiive...? ...Sssenzu... of courssse..." The creature hissed, causing Yamcha to flinch and turn his attention once more. The creature was staring oddly. "Sso... I failed. Wont... make that missstake... again..."

The bald shaolin monk sidestepped to place his body between Bulma and the creature. "You won't get the chance again."

_What...? Bulma was his target all along?_

Krillin looked his way and reached for his belt, halting when the creature hissed and moved threateningly between them.

"You cannot help... your ally... this time..." The creature rasped.

Krillin's head and arm's were bandaged and bloodied as though he'd been injured severely in a fight not long ago, but he stepped into the hallway with hardly a trace of fear. He kept his scowl fixed on the creature in front of him with determination before turning slightly to adress his old friend.

"Hold on Yamcha, senzu beans are on their way. Just stay put and keep pressure on that wound." Krillin shouted once more, keeping his eyes forward on the danger in front of him.

"R-right. Well, I mean... that's really all I can do right now..." Yamcha offered a weak smile, somewhat negated when he coughed and the pooling blood in his mouth spewed out in a thick glob. "...But wait, Krillin, what are YOU going to...?"

"Shut up and trust me. We've got this one." Krillin shot back, never taking his eyes off the monster. "Well, tall dark and ugly? How about taking on someone half your size?"

The creature stepped forward with a hiss, raising its tail, and Krillin stepped forward confidently at the same time between the Doctor and the creature, raising his hand above his head, and let out a yell as he traced a circle in the empty air. A whirring disc of light roughly the size and shape of a dinner plate erupted with an explosive sound and hovered waveringly above his palm, buzzing fearsomely.

"KIENZAN!" He roared, and wasting no time he swung his arm down and let it loose, ripping through the air!

In less than a second, it closed the shortening distance between the two approaching opponents. It struck the target. And it cleaved directly through him with a noise like a buzz-saw striking a bamboo post. It tore through the arms where it touched them, severing wrist, bicep and tail alike, rendering blocking useless, and struck in the creatures chest, continuing to spin and grind wildly as it continued to grind its way through to the spine, eliciting a piercing rattle of pain as it's upper half tumbled to the ground, spewing sporadic fountains of blackish fluids that could only be it's blood. Taking the opportunity while it lasted, the diminutive warrior quickly crossed the remaining distance and knelt to offer him a hand up.

"Where did you learn to do a move like that, and how do I sign up?..." Yamcha said at last, feeling such palpable relief that he almost passed out right then. He didn't, though, he was too busy holding his guts inside himself. He coughed, feeling blood filling his mouth.

"It's a long story, maybe I'll fill you in later..." Krillin smiled back, kneeling quickly to help him up. The bald monk flinched and drew his hand back momentarily when he touched his right hand, but after a questioning look, drew a senzu bean from his belt and offered it to him. "...right after You explain where _you've _been. But later. Eat that bean and lets clear this area, pronto! The Kienzan may be deadly, but that monster doesn't take easily to dying! Come on, on your feet!"

Yamcha didn't have to be told twice as he chewed the plain tasting raw bean and forced his mouth to swallow with a mouthful of blood. After a few short instants passed, he sighed with relief as the pain subsided as his stomach wound closed and the melted flesh and muscle tissues miraculously returned and repaired itself, an abundance of refreshed life energy spreading through his whole body.

Accepting a helping hand up from Krillin, he followed quickly after him, stopping in confusion when Krillin came to a stop behind Dr. Briefs, who was fiddling with a screwdriver and some kind of handheld scanner. He ignored them, for the moment, and ran to Bulma. Before she could react he threw his arms around her and lifted her off the ground in a bear hug that made her squeak in surprise.

"Thank Kami you're safe!" He cried out loud, wiping his tears into her shoulder and neck. "I - I thought that thing got to you first, after what I heard, and what I saw in Ginger-town, a-and then..."

Bulma's laughed softly, returning the hug as best she could with her arms pinned. She nuzzled her face into his neck for just a moment, before she come to her senses and her face turned as bright a red as her hair was blue.

"P-put me down, you moron..." The scientist's daughter said bashfully, squirming. "Ohh, I'm glad you're alive too, but there's no time for this right now! Tearful reunions later, I've got work to do!"

Yamcha sniffled, but released her to the floor with a happy sigh. Bulma patted his shoulder and walked back to where the other two were, and only then did Yamcha realize they hadn't closed the heavy steel doors yet. His jaw dropped.

"Uh, guys..."

Yamcha stared between them, baffled.

The creature was already starting to rise again angry as ever, the energy disk disintegrating after expending the last of its energy. Horrifyingly, its chest downwards had already mostly regenerated, and its arms seemed to be in progress, its fingers rising from frothing stumps on the wrists and its tail following suit quickly enough. Yamcha shuddered.

"Uh, guys, shouldn't we close this door now?!" he raised his voice over the two of them. "That thing, whatever it is- it sucked out most of my energy a moment ago! It's even stronger now..."

"We don't need to be stronger to stop it," Bulma interjected, pushing him back away from the machine. She glanced at him with a bit of a glare. "Mind over muscle, get it? We have a plan. Just stand back and don't get in the way, you've done plenty already."

Yamcha stared on bewildered once again, but nodded despite having no clue what was going on.

Krillin looked at Dr. Briefs who exchanged a nod with him, and then the two of them hefted the object they had been carrying before, a large metal cylinder with the capsule corp logo embossed on it's side, a megaphone shaped aperture on the front of it, and a brace of thick electrical cords all over it.

"Just to warn you, this is going to make some noise!" Dr. Briefs addressed Yamcha over his shoulder. The three of them nodded to each-other one more time. Krillin shouldered the weight of the machine. The Doctor adjusted the settings on his scanner, and then, Bulma flipped the switch on her wired in handheld.

Dr. Briefs was a master of understatement. The sound that came out of the machine when it fired was like if a lightning-bolt struck a dub-step concert, and it was over just as fast. A cone of light illuminated the monster for one second, and then the air in the hallway seemed to super-heat and explode in an enormous back-draft of smoke, and immediately afterwards there was a sense of the air being sucked inwards. Yamcha found his hands clapped to his ears in reflex, as the rushing noise slowly subsided, and the smoke slowly cleared enough so he could see what the end result of it all was.

A single, ordinary capsule fell to the metal floor with a clink, and the hall was empty except for a crater roughly the size of the thing that had been standing there.

Bulma put the controller down and sighed in relief, wiping a sheen of sweat from her brow.

"I knew it would work, but I'm still glad it went off without a hitch." she muttered nervously.

"You... you shrunk him into a capsule? You can do that?" Yamcha gasped. He broke into a smile then, bowled over by the simplicity and genius of the plan.

"We can _now_. Bulma worked out the calculations while we were stuck in there," Dr. Briefs chuckled, adjusting his glasses with a prideful smirk. "That's my girl."

"I'm awesome, I know." Bulma giggled confidently, brushing her hair back. "I planned out the whole process of luring and trapping it in here after the first attacks when it went into hiding in the city," She sighed, and shook her head, turning to Yamcha with an exasperated look. "But seriously, what a shock! The last thing I expected was for you to show up NOW of all times, Yamcha. You could have called ahead and let us know you weren't dead, at least!"

Yamcha coughed and spluttered. "I was coming in to rescue you guys! I saw the mess outside and what happened to the city, I had no idea if you were alive or dead either! I just did what anyone would! Right?..."

"I'm surprised you made it through the automatic defenses getting in here." Dr. Briefs said. "But its good you weren't hurt by the gas traps, and that you didn't accidentally let the creature out on your way in. That would have ruined the whole plan and all our hard work."

Yamcha had nothing to say to that.

"Well... to be fair, you _were_ pretty brave back there, fighting one on one. Stupid, but brave. We all saw it on the security screens, but with just backup power we couldn't even open the blast doors."

Krillin nodded. "Yeah, you were pretty impressive when you went berserk back there. You fought like a demon from hell," the monk lightly punched at his arm and smirked. "That was all for Bulma, huh?"

Yamcha felt a flush creep up his cheeks as Bulma punched him in the arm as well, hard.

" So, so stupid... but brave." Bulma blushed, smirking at the same time. It was a strange expression. "But we had it all under control, as you can see."

"All under control, huh? Yeah, sure. From what I heard you almost got sucked up by that thing, too..." Yamcha scowled in mild annoyance. "Anyway, are you sure that tiny little thing is going to hold that freak?"

"Hmph. Have a little more faith in me..." Bulma sniffed, turning so fast she whipped her hair. "I once re-purposed a telephone as a spy drone, remember? I know what I'm doing."

Yamcha gaped in awe as Bulma strolled casually into the scene of the grisly battle and picked up the capsule containing their mortal enemy without a trace of fear. She flicked the capsule up into the air and caught it, flashing a victory sign and a smile.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again: Mind over muscle. He might have been big and bad and gruesome, but not any more! Especially not now that he can measure his height in micrometers and angstroms. If he's like this, containing the threat is a breeze."

"Alright." Yamcha let out a nervous breath. "So, what are we going to do with that now?"

Bulma smirked confidently, eyes shining excitedly.

"What do you think, genius? We're going to study it, and find out where it came from."


	17. Chapter 17

**Human Limitations, Chapter 17:**

_Springing forward once more, into the near future ahead of Yamcha and the others on earth..._

Light-years across the black expanses of space on the sun-baked and hostile jungle-planet Zenark, the span of a mere 7 weeks had passed since the two Saiyans began their training in anticipation of meeting the Prince of all Saiyans in a year's time, and in that relatively short amount of time, both had seen vast improvement. As his body adjusted to the gravity, Goku's resistance increased to the point Raditz no longer had to hold back during sparring, and as a result their fights almost became... too savage. He left his scouter back at their makeshift camp for fear of it being damaged.

Their training regimen was as harsh as the two could bear, in three day shifts spent pushing themselves to the limit with new trials of endurance. They rose with the sunrise, hunted by themselves, and fought without pause until noon, stopping only when they were completely exhausted, and at times grievously wounded, but Raditz's half of the bag of senzu beans remained mostly unused as of yet, as he had long ago determined to save them for his liege lord's use. The older Saiyan grumbled in annoyance each time a fight had to be called off for him to pant for air in the heightened gravity, but held his tongue on the subject of his younger brother's reliance on the strange beans whenever he was severely injured. Instead, he showed him which of the alien plants was non-poisonous and could be wrapped on his wounds to make a serviceable bandage.

Unbidden, part of Raditz's mind recalled his strange dreams, the dreams that seemed to compel him to find his brother in the first place, the fiery view of the red planet, the indistinct voice, and his father's bloodstained armor... And the single spoken name, Kakarot, somehow given so much more importance than a mere third class deserved.

He had long since given up trying to make sense of the dreams as they never changed much from the usual pattern of his nightmares relating to his father; but at the same time ignoring them never made them go away. He could only hope to gain closure by seeing this through.

With a little prodding, Raditz evened the odds between them by removing his body armor when they sparred, since Goku had none yet. He left on his sleeveless black undergarment and twin red bands over his opposing arm and leg. His brother having shed his now utterly tattered orange training clothes only a few days into their harsh sparring sessions, replaced those with a loose fitting poncho of sorts made from the skin of one of the many reptilian hunters that prowled the planet's jungles. It was just the skin of the torso with the arms, legs and head torn off, tanned into rough leather with Ki in a method Raditz had shown him on one of their rest days. The whole ensemble made him look like a textbook picture of an ancient Saiyan, which was a bit ironic for his taste considering how he'd have to teach him everything he needed to know from scratch.

It was on the start of their off days from sparring while the two were warming up for their morning hunt. They needed to collect enough food to sustain themselves during their training for the next three days, so they always returned with a pile of dead lizards. The older Saiyan had already completed his series of warm-up exercises before booting the other out of his bed of stones and leaves, and stood over him with arms crossed, mentally tallying each one armed push-up. It was all he could do to keep focus, in between his brother's incessant questions, as he only allowed idle chatter on their rest days the younger Saiyan was always pent up with new questions about one thing or another.

_"_So, is it true... what you said earlier?" the younger saiyan asked between gasps.

"What was that?" Raditz responded absently.

"About this training..." Goku said, pausing for a moment as he switched arms, "And the higher gravity. And not using - huff - the senzu anymore... Will it really - hrrngh - help me break my limits? How?"

"If you were paying attention before, you would know this already, Kakarot." Raditz huffed, getting down on his level. "The gravity on planet Earth is only one tenth of what you would have experienced on planet Vegeta. Zenark is a reasonable substitute, though its not quite that strong. Living and fighting here you'll adjust your body for the next steps. It's part of your Saiyan nature."

"I know that... but why do I - gahhh - have to stop using my half of the senzu except in ... 'extreme emergency, literally a heartbeat away from about to bleed out and die'?" the younger Saiyan quirked an eyebrow with a confused smile that looked odd on a brow trembling with exertion. "...As you put it earlier... he-heh..."

"Lets see... What would be a good way to explain? Think of the worst, most hopeless fight you've ever had to face... before me."

"Well... The first time anyone was really strong enough to hurt me was when I fought Piccolo. He managed to totally wreck my legs and my arm, but I finished him with the last one I had left..." he continued, panting with exertion as he held himself up.

"Against the green man? I would have liked to see that fight." Raditz smirked bemusedly.

"There's more." the younger Saiyan smiled back, "Piccolo's son, he got both my arms, and I had to knock him out with a headbutt... If it weren't for the senzu, I'd be dead from that hole he punched next to my lung..."

"There. That is exactly my point." the older Saiyan said, continuing to smirk and drawing another confused look. "Your body would be rotting right now if it weren't for those things. Simply put, they work miracles. But you can't depend on miracles! You need to hammer these three rules into your body; Survive under your own power at any cost. Don't owe anyone anything, especially not your pride. And never hesitate to make your strike. Understand?"

The younger Saiyan nodded cautiously after a pause, though internally he harbored his own serious doubts about the Saiyan idea of common sense. "Sounds like... a harsh way of life..."

"Maybe for a planet of weaklings. Out in the galaxy it's always been kill or die. This is common sense to any Saiyan, but seeing as you bumped your head and forgot everything like an idiot, I'm telling you now, you upstart... I swear, you should have already had this drilled into you when you were three..."

"When I was_ three_?!" Goku looked up with a start, and his arm spasm-ed from the sudden movement, dropping him to his side with a grunt.

"Yes... That's how old you were the last time I'd seen you, little brother. I recall I must have been only six or seven standard cycles..." Raditz crouched, offering him a hand up. "That's enough warm-up, go splash some water on yourself or something." he said quietly, trying to push aside the memories of the past.

Goku took the hand up gratefully, eyes still wide as his mind processed the knowledge. "How early did Saiyans train their kids from?"

"Conditioning begins shortly after birth, but Saiyans grow slowly at first compared to other races. A Saiyan child is measured for their potential strength as an adult with a special device not unlike our scouters." Raditz hoisted his much smaller brother up with a jerk, setting him on his feet.

"Is it... common for Saiyan children to have a lot of hidden power, then?" he asked slowly. Raditz looked at him curiously, but couldn't possibly read the direction of his thoughts at that instant.

"Rarely. Every now and then a mutant is born with greater potential battle power than normal. Normally, most Saiyans are born almost as weak as you were."

"Come on, you don't have to keep saying it like that, do you..." the younger brother laughed tiredly. "Raditz, be honest. Am I really as bad as that when we fight?"

Raditz paused for a moment, staring up and down at the younger Saiyan and considering.

"Kakarot, I'll admit I'm a little interested by your development. On such a weak planet, you managed to improve your insignificant power-level quite a bit, though you were still only foot-soldier material... You weren't as useless as they initially thought. But you'll never be stronger than me."

"Tch, come on..." the younger Saiyan snorted, brushing past him in a huff of annoyance. "Alright, I'm going to rustle up some grub. See ya."

The older Saiyan smirked after him. _That made him upset. That should be enough to keep him trying hard._

The little thrill he got out of being a mentor for once in his life soured slightly as he remembered he had a deadline to meet before he introduced him to the prince, and then all the carefully placed white lies he'd sown were sure to fall down around his ears. Unless he could make a true Saiyan of him within that time... No, not worth considering, he shook his head. That wouldn't happen.

_Kakarot is progressing in leaps and bounds. I doubt he's ever trained this hard before, and this is drawing out his potential as much as it is sharpening mine. But even with the boost these beans give, he can't seriously intend to rely on that forever. Take that away, and what is he? Does he even know how to fight and protect his injuries at the same time? Has he ever fought in a prolonged war, with his life at stake? _

Raditz dreaded to think what his prince might think if he saw the younger Saiyan in his current state. _He would probably say there's little point training such a weakling... But I KNOW there's more to you, Kakarot. I'll make you understand the true worth of a Saiyan's pride. I know can do for you what our Prince did for me back then, and watch over you for now, raise you through the ranks..._

Their 'light' training on their off days was at its core not so different than what Goku had been used to under Master Roshi's tutelage. The Saiyan brother's spent their rest day rolling boulders, racing on foot across the land, and hunting and fighting against the enormous reptilian beasts that had evolved under the higher gravity. Raditz introduced the species to him as a Zenarkyan, after the planet; While that designation would usually be reserved for the indigenous_ sentient _species, this planet apparently had none left, so the title went to the strongest instead. They looked like nothing more than bipedal crocodiles with tall blade-like crests on their head and spine.

For these larger, thicker meat of these beasts, they had opted to build a wooden spit and a massive fire-pit to help with the cooking. Raditz, like many Saiyans, preferred his meat rare, searing the surface just long enough to kill any harmful toxins there might be left in the meat and trusting his hardy Saiyan constitution to handle the rest. He quickly scarfed down the choice organ meat, discarded the inedible intestines and one floppy organ he claimed had a foul poisonous smell to it, and leaving the hollowed out rib-cage to smoke for a while longer while he ripped off one of the enormous legs from its socket with a twist and a yank.

"The Zenarkyans represent the apex-predator of this miserable little planet, the peak of their evolutionary chain, with the strength and coordination to overpower any kind of enemy you could imagine. Until_ we _found them, that is. You would have been surprised to see this place before. There were cities here, you know, not too different from on your little world. This wasteland you're sitting in? Used to be one. You should have seen them squatting in the ruins," the older Saiyan had laughed, tearing a large mouthful of barely charred leg-meat off the bone. He worked at the chewy flesh with his teeth for a while until it fit better in his jaws before swallowing the whole chunk like some kind of hungry tyrannosaurus, and throwing the bone to rest on a large pile behind him.

The younger Saiyan immediately ceased his gnawing at his own meal and eyed his own significant pile of ribs and femurs and skulls. "Raditz... You don't mean that _they_ built it, do you? These things didn't seem _that _smart when we were fighting them." Goku asked, feeling somewhat queasy.

"If these creatures were smart enough to build cities like that, they would have put up a better resistance against our forces, and this whole planet would have been razed to the ground for even attempting it." Raditz snorted, wiping the juice from his lip. "No, these creatures are primitive, but_ they _somehow conquered Zenark first, despite this planet's previous inhabitants being in possession of advanced weaponry, and vastly outnumbering them..."

"But how?" the younger Saiyan gaped. "If these things are just dumb beasts, I wouldn't think that was possible."

"There are different kinds of intelligence." Raditz shrugged. "These beasts had a unified goal, to dominate the planet. The inhabitants were mostly weak, unorganized, and ignorant. Whatever potential they could have had was sapped away by living in their cities, surrounded by false security. They probably refused to even acknowledge the problem until it was too late to unify."

The older Saiyan paused, cracking a bloody bone between his knuckles with no effort.

"But... when we got here, the Prince destroyed their infestation with almost no effort. You should have seen it. Boom..."

He mimed a mushroom cloud in the air with his hands, and his grin widened, showing off most of his teeth stained with red meat.

"Even without any kind of intelligence, It didn't take long for these Zenarkyan lizards to learn to fear the might of a Saiyan Elite. For you and I though, they're clever enough to provide just enough challenge to make our meal that much more rewarding, wouldn't you say?" Raditz snickered, leaning back against his sleeping rock with a belch.

"Well, that's sort-of a relief..." the younger Saiyan flopped back against his own stone slab and reaching for another bite, raising an eyebrow from the older Saiyan.

"A relief, eh? What, that you haven't acquired that taste for intelligent life?" Raditz scoffed, playing with a rib-bone and spinning it between his fingers as if it was a drumstick. He stuck one end of it between his teeth and sucked off a chunk of meat he had missed before. "You might learn to like it yet, it's brain food."

"Gross, I hope you're just kidding again. I'm not trying to be a cannibal." Goku scowled, picking a stringy piece of meat from between his teeth with an expression of disgust.

"You would be if you were starving in an emergency-" Raditz stuck out his tongue. "And if they weren't your species. That's an important distinction, since its not actually cannibalism, if-"

"Ugh, shut up!" the younger Saiyan gagged. "Stop talking about it!"

"It doesn't change the taste any, knowing any different. Are you just a picky eater Kakarot, is that it?"

Raditz abruptly yelped in pain as a handful sized hail of small bones ricocheted off of his forehead, and he glared back at his brother with a mix of anger and bemusement that he finally got a rise out of him.

"Enough already, that was totally unnecessary! I can't keep my appetite up if you make bad jokes like that. I'm not Yajirobe, for cryin' out loud..."

The older Saiyan cocked his shaggy head to the side, perplexed. "You're not a what?"

"Oh," Goku said, belatedly realizing he had no idea what he meant, "Sorry. Yajirobe is... somebody I knew on Earth. He chopped up and ate some weird looking demons we killed together..."

"Sounds like a man after my own heart." Raditz snorted.

"I didn't want to eat it. I told him I thought it was poisonous, but..." Goku scratched his head, slowly remembering the long ago event before his first fight with King Piccolo.

"Was it?" Raditz asked, looking somewhat bored by the delay in the story. Goku shook his head.

"Nah, but that wasn't really why I didn't eat it. It wasn't a good guy, but it talked... I don't want to eat something if I think it has feelings..."

The older Saiyan snorted in surprise, eyebrows shooting up as a genuine laugh escaped his lungs. "Are you being serious right now? Don't tell me you feel meat-eater's guilt after stuffing yourself so enthusiastically just a minute ago!" Raditz laughed, tossing his own leftovers back at the younger Saiyan's head with a clatter of bones.

"You're just screwing with my head for fun, aren't you Raditz?" The younger Saiyan groaned, brushing a chunk of food out of his hair.

_Believe whatever you want, Kakarot. You'll come around once you get a taste..._

"Sure, whatever. If you think about it, Kakarot, everything has some sort of a brain! I prefer NOT to think about it. That way lies vegetarianism."

"Whatever, okay. You might have a point there, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I guess I can't argue with good food. The plants on this planet look nasty anyways, like they might ACTUALLY be poisonous..." the younger Saiyan allowed, grunting slightly as he ripped another rib open. "You're still a freak, though." he nonchalantly muttered while chewing.

"I heard that, Kakarot. I thought you knew better than to disrespect your older brother. You'll pay for that little quip first thing tomorrow morning..."

"I'd like to see you try! We were almost completely even the last time we sparred. I'm finally catching up to you." the younger Saiyan declared, a competitive smirk spreading over his face instantly.

_Is this brat really trying to bait me already? He's getting cocky... _The older Saiyan scowled.

Raditz glared back at him for a moment and tossed aside the shards of bone with a grunt, resting his eyes for a moment. The younger Saiyan could have sworn he'd gotten to him as he saw a flicker of anger in his eyes.

"Finish eating what you can, and then we can... meditate, and then rest for the night, alright?" the older Saiyan grumbled, struggling with the unfamiliar term.

"Alright. I'm glad you're willing to try it out." Goku nodded, allowing a smirk.

"I might as well learn what I can from you. I don't want to waste my time here any more than you do." There wasn't much else to talk about that he could think of at the moment.

The red sun beat down on the two of them as it always did in the afternoon sky. Raditz growled under his breath, unable to find within himself the stillness that his younger brother seemed to find so easily, and it plagued him with doubts. The older Saiyan resisted the urge to surprise attack him right then out of frustration, and simply sat back and observed him for the moment, his thoughts and plans tinged with a color of slight resentment at the ease with which his brother cast aside his worries.

_What a ridiculous idea, emptying your mind of emotions, _Raditz thought, _And this is supposedly useful for fighting? What the hell kind of a fighter doesn't burn inside with anger, blood-lust, and pride? You can't fight like that... And still,_ _I can't even tell if Kakarot is sweating over there. Its like he can completely ignore the heat and pressure from the planet_, he thought, sneaking another peek to his side. As usual, his brother was sitting cross legged in his lotus stance with his hands folded in his lap and his back upright, oddly with his eyes half open and staring into the distance, even though he'd told him it would be better for him to try with his eyes closed... Every now and then a slow deep breath disturbed the long spiky bangs that hung over his forehead. He looked absurdly peaceful for a Saiyan. He recalled the way Goku had described it: Ignoring nothing, but being attached to nothing?

He shook his heavy mane of hair, head hurting trying to wrap his mind around the concept. _Kakarot was raised with the exact opposite of a Saiyan's mindset, _the older Saiyan sneered silently. He was still trying to figure out what kind of horrid upbringing his poor brother had received up to this point. _At least he's dedicated to his training._

Raditz looked him over with an appraising eye for strength, taking in the slight changes that he already saw in him. His skin was starting to take on a darker shade of tan from exposure to the red sun, and his muscles were beginning to bulk from working under the higher gravity and feasting on the inhabitant's high protein meat. Raditz took some measure of pride in all his improvements, just as he took a substantial bit more pride in surpassing his own previous peak strength...

... Raditz clearly remembered every moment of his actions and his thoughts through the night before, standing there with the scouter at a distance so Kakarot wouldn't hear the sound and awaken to question him. He himself had woken not long before from another disturbing dream, though the details of it were fading he felt it had to do with Kakarot once again. Somehow, this prompted him to get up and stealthily measure him with his scouter. As he confirmed his brother's power his breath momentarily hitched in his throat; He had long surpassed the 1,500 mark, becoming far stronger than his own previous maximum. With a shaking hand, he measured himself again. 2,135, the scouter said, ever since he revived from his collapsed state with the senzu. He turned the scouter on Kakarot next, and shivered in the chill humidity as the scouter registered his sleeping body resonating a steady battle power of 1,880, a power the likes of which he could only generate with his most powerful focused energy blasts before. The gap between them was no longer so wide that it was impossible for him to lose. They had both broken through a barrier. From now on, how much could they grow?

He counted out his remaining senzu, tucked under his breastplate, and thought of meeting the Prince with increased power in one year's time.

His heart pounded nervously. That rate of progress was too severe, and the thought of posing a fighting challenge to Prince Vegeta, as Kakarot seemed to hope to do, was absurd, disturbing even, but somehow appealing. Still, it wasn't an idea he could entertain seriously and still remain loyal.

_When the Prince uses these, he'll definitely become even stronger than he is now. This is the weapon we needed to take Freeza down... and to think it came from such a pathetic planet, along with my baby brother, Kakarot the runt... Although he's growing quite fast, faster than anticipated. Where did all this come from? _Raditz glared down at his brother, once again scrutinizing his innocent face under the pale pink moonlight reflected from the red sun.

Raditz started, suddenly realizing something he had forgotten. _Moonlight! I was so caught up in fighting Kakarot, I forgot about this planet's moon!_

The Saiyan looked up into the sky, eyes locking onto the moon of planet Zenark with something like rapture. It wasn't quite full yet, not for another night at least, but it still had an almost hypnotic quality to it, to bask in the reflected wavelength of the energy as it hit his retinas. And it was large, and still close to the planet. It was almost tingling in his tail already. He only could have failed to notice because he had purposefully tired himself out through excessive training, the only way he managed to sleep now.

_Of course, it all makes sense now. With a moon this large, his Saiyan instinct that was repressed for so long must be close to reawakening! I can feel the waves coming as well. If he only had his tail back, this would be the perfect opportunity for him to be useful to the Prince... We could take our training farther than ever before... Undo the damage those Earthling scum did to him, and make a true Saiyan of him all in one fell blow... _Raditz reflected inwardly, thoughts turning once again to what he hadn't told him yet. Raditz glanced back down at the sleeping form of his younger brother, realizing that he himself probably didn't even realize this was happening yet, still having next to no knowledge of his true powers as a Saiyan. Raditz struggled with the notion that occurred to him. Should he or shouldn't he let on his plan?

_Its a damn good thing he's still young. With the right push, he should still be able to bring it back at least one more time, before it's gone forever... It may be risky, but... but we have the senzu. He said it himself, it can bring a man from the brink of death. I know its the right thing, it has to work! The timing will never be better than now, and it might be the last chance I have to do this for him, as a brother... I just need to put the right stress on him- And tear that damn tail of his back out from his spine..._

His mind snapped back to the present day with a gasp, covered in a cold sweat that seemed to sizzle in the blazing red sun. It wasn't quite nightfall yet. The mood wouldn't be out for a few hours yet. The red sky was slowly darkening on the horizon into a crimson twilight.

"What is this feeling?" Raditz glanced around him, down into the trees. "Why... why do I feel this ominous chill?"

"Raditz? You can feel that, huh?"

The older Saiyan turned in shock and saw his brother already getting to his feet, an expression darkening his face in a way Raditz hadn't seen yet.

"Feel-?" the older Saiyan sputtered, shaking off a wave of confusion as he realized now that the strange feeling had a direction to it, the same direction they were both looking now. Up into the sky on the horizon.

"Whats happening, Kakarot? What do you know about this that I don't?"

"You tell me." he grunted, tilting his head to peer at him through his shaggy bangs. "Does what you feel give you a shock down your spine and set your teeth on edge? You feel like something dangerous is out there, don't you?"

Raditz suppressed an involuntary shudder at the fearful instinct rising within him. "Yes..."

"I remember that feeling well. That's because the meditation opened up something in your mind. You're sensing another warrior's energy for the first time."

The older Saiyan spun to stare wide eyed, shaggy hair whipping behind him like in a sudden breeze. "Is this some kind of trick, Kakarot? Sensing energy without a scouter isn't possible!"

"It is, believe me. You just need to be in tune with your natural mind in order to do it. What you're feeling right now is power, trust what your instincts are telling you..." The younger Saiyan shared a serious look with him.

"Enough of your mystical nonsense! I'll settle this!" Raditz growled, shoving past him. "My scouter, where is it!?"

He found the device not far from where he'd left it, pinned between his sleeping rock and a pile of leaves he'd used for bedding. With slightly panicked hands, he snatched it up and fixed it's hook over his ear, tapping the button twice rapidly and turning it to long range mode. The mechanism whirred noisily for a moment as a series of rapid beeps signaled the orbital approach of what he'd already sensed, but now he could put a number to that feeling. He staggered back, eyes wide and heart hammering in his chest as a streak of white light cut the horizon like a comet, a massive metallic construct with a familiar spherical shape.

"I-It's impossible! That's no attack pod, but there's only one person aboard, and with such a power level? Why is such a huge ship is coming here?!"

"Well Raditz?" Goku called down from the rocky plateau. "What does your scouter say about that power level?"

"It's... It's reading over nine thousand...!" He shakily silenced the scouter's alarm function. He didn't need to look at the number any longer. "Could it be possible... Could it be that one of Freeza's men managed to track us by the scouter, despite Prince Vegeta's precautions?!"

"No, I don't think so... Raditz, do you feel that?" The younger Saiyan called again, a tone of excitement rising in his voice. Raditz growled aloud, a shudder passing through him as he felt the hostility of the energy once again, his instinct telling him that it was definitely an enemy.

"Of course I feel that, we have established I can feel that already!" Raditz spat sardonically through grating teeth. "Rest assured, I am fully cognizant of the depths of shit which we are sinking in right now, Kakarot...!"

"That's not what I meant! I mean sure, it feels dangerous, but there's more," He called. "Doesn't that energy give off a certain vibe to you? Like its familiar or something?"

Raditz shook his head impatiently, quickly donning his armor once again.

"Kakarot, shut the hell up or get to the point!" he growled. "I've never felt energy before, how the hell should I know?! All I know is its angry as hell and it's coming this way! You should be preparing yourself-"

"I mean it feels like you and me, Raditz!" Goku interjected excitedly. "I'm telling you, I think another one is coming! You said there weren't many alive, but that massive power definitely feels like a Saiyan to me!"

Raditz froze, a sound like ice cracking playing through his mind. _ 's right, something about this power reminds me of Nappa and Prince Vegeta, but I can tell it's neither of them. Somehow, I know instinctively this power is a Saiyan..._

_Oh, no..._

"If that power is a Saiyan, then that's even worse! We need to get off this planet, NOW!" he snapped back at the younger Saiyan, panic tinging his voice. Raditz started quickly striding towards the crater where the two space pods were stored.

"Raditz, calm down and think about this some more! Even if it is an enemy like you think, there's only one of them against the two of us, right? We'll have the advantage here! What else have we been training for, if we don't even get to test out how well we fight together?" Goku smirked in wild eyed anticipation, clenching his fist in front of him. "And if its not an enemy, then its still another Saiyan! How amazing is this opportunity?! Don't tell me you've never dreamed of a fight like this!"

Raditz's jaw dropped.

"Are you completely out of your mind, Kakarot?! Even with two of us, whoever is coming is literally ten times the warrior either of us are! If we're still here when the full moon rises, and he brings out his true power, we're going to be slaughtered! We have to get back to the Prince and report all of this, so hurry up and get in the damn pod!"

"NO WAY!" Goku shouted back, leaping from the top of the rocks, shattering a thin layer of stone underneath with the sudden force.

The older Saiyan stepped back quickly in shock as the overeager young Saiyan stomped into the ground between him and the pods and stood glaring at him.

Raditz tried to sidestep him, but was shocked to find him sidestep aggressively to block him. _He's lost his damned mind! He wants to fight more than he wants to live!_

The red sun was almost down to the horizon, and the faint circle of the moon was slowly becoming visible, tinged with red as the sky darkened slowly around it. He took several long, slow deep breaths as he watched it carefully, snapping his eyes away just before the energy became too much and he felt his heart start to pound.

"What are you so afraid of? They're not as strong as Vegeta, according to what you said. We can take them on together, Raditz. Think of the fight, Raditz!"

"It doesn't matter if he's stronger or we are, Prince Vegeta isn't here, and you don't even have your tail! Get out of my way, Kakarot, this isn't a game!" Raditz snarled and pushed his way past him.

As his power suddenly raised, the older Saiyan startled and turned towards him, but too late to do anything yet. Cocking back his fist, the younger Saiyan cut loose his restraint of his full power and struck him straight across the jaw, knocking him down by surprise and sending him crashing through the rocks where they'd eaten dinner with a biting yelp of pain to form a crater below, scattering loose animal bones over the field like a graveyard. Goku quickly followed, floating downwards just as the rocks parted explosively outwards and the older Saiyan roared angrily to his feet.

"What was that for, brother? Attacking me like that, without any warning?" he snarled, a hurt expression crossing his face for a moment, before being replaced by seething anger. "Has the full moon driven you loony, Kakarot? If this is your idea of a joke, you've lost your mind! This is serious!"

"So am I! Can you feel how strong I've gotten from our training, brother?" the younger Saiyan's eyes flashed down at him across the self made crater from their brief clash. "I want to test it! I've never been this excited before, not even with Chichi... I can't hold back any longer, even if you try and stop me. I want to train to the brink of death and go beyond even this power...!"

"You... when we were meditating, you did it with your eyes open, didn't you? Were you looking at the moon?" Raditz's eyes widened in horror.

"Yeah... It's so bright and beautiful on this planet, isn't it?" he responded, not even understanding the meaning of his own instincts. "Enough to make my heart pound with excitement..."

Raditz growled. Spitting a glob of blood to the ground he assumed his typical fighting stance. _Unbelievable, his personality has changed so suddenly_... _No, it's just as I predicted, just like I wanted, but wrong... His Saiyan nature is reawakening for the first time, just like I've been pushing him towards every day... But this outcome isn't a good one like I thought it would be, he's not thinking at all... and I can't use my plan if another Saiyan is coming! Damn it!_

_"Listen_ to me, Kakarot. Right now you're not thinking properly. Don't do something you'll regret later." he tried gently talking him down. The expression on his face didn't change any. "Are you listening? We don't have much time, so-"

"I understand." the younger Saiyan said suddenly.

"G-good..." he let out a sigh of relief...

"I understand that you're afraid to fight me. That's alright. But the enemy is over there, so don't worry. We can fight together, brother to brother."

The breath of relief hitched in his throat as he saw the madness clearly in his brother's eyes. His black hair seemed to be bristling slightly more and curving back the opposite way on it's ends, straining against gravity as his power swelled as if it was as maddened as he was under the red moon, as if he'd already become something neither great ape nor the Saiyan he was before.

_I've bitten off more than I can chew with this... He seems innocent, but if you push him he becomes just as terrifying as Vegeta! He's got some kind of hidden fury locked deep inside of him, but this is all so twisted and wrong, like it was never supposed to be like this... Is this my fault, my influence? Or the full moon's? Is this because he hit his head as a child..?!_

Raditz broke out into a sweat of fear as the ground around them dimmed and then lit up with what could only be unfiltered moonlight as the clouds parted. There was an ominous rumbling in the distance he couldn't quite identify, but his new-found senses detected a flash like a burst of energy lancing out in the distance, a powerful attack tearing up the planet's surface, for some reason...

_Gods be damned, its like fate has it out for me..._

"Kakarot, if we stay on this planet any longer, you are going to die for sure..." he growled warningly, eyes downcast and not daring to look up. "The likes of you can't survive that one's true power, let alone mine fully unleashed! If you know what's good for you, stand aside..."

That statement was met with a snarl of rage. He wished he could see the look on his face right then. A sudden rapid clip of footsteps was all the warning he got before he was upon him.

Just barely managing to twist in time, he diverted much of the force of the punch away by watching the position of his feet, then shoved his arm to the side trying to unbalance him at the end of his strike. Raditz's step faltered just momentarily as he kept his eyes away from the sky, but he recovered quickly and threw his other fist roughly into his abdomen with an uppercut that lifted him several feet off the ground, but that one he managed to block with both arms crossed, deflecting most of the damage again, but the grunt of pain said that it still hurt quite a bit to block.

The younger, smaller Saiyan panicked and quickly back-stepped, gaining quite a bit of distance. Raditz was not far behind, shadowing his steps and vanishing from his sight quickly to reappear behind him with a kick that sent him rocketing back where he'd come from, staggering forward to catch himself on the ground and clutch his sore ribs. He doubted he'd managed to break anything yet, but he knew he couldn't hold up against his attacks for long. Pausing just long enough to let him see him, he stepped forward again, closing the distance at a fast clip and smashing his fist into and through the rocks behind him just as he managed to squeeze out of the way.

_Gods damn it, my plan worked too well! By only letting him use the senzu, I've handicapped myself here- and the giant moon has robbed him of his senses, even if he can't transform! I don't want to kill him like this..!_

With his opponent out of his line of sight as the moon kept him from looking up, Raditz backed off and braced himself as he felt the rush of air. Raditz couldn't sense it that well yet, but he could hear the sound as a quickly charge blue blast ripped through the air, disintegrating small rocks as it went. Not quite a full on Kamehameha wave, rather a smaller blast that he had charged quickly and let go haphazardly. Raditz held out a single hand to intercept it, catching it as if to easily snuff out the blow without concern, gasping slightly at the force of it as it detonated in the palm of his hand, and threw him off balance on the loose stones and back to the ground.

_I'm sorry, Kakarot, I only meant for you to be a true warrior... Not for this..._

Raditz pushed himself to his feet, wiping blood from his nose and mouth after the explosive impact of the attack, only to immediately be struck again by another Ki blast, seemingly intended to force him to keep his distance. Raditz shouldered into the blast and fired back two quick salvos of yellow energy beams which his brother managed to make narrowly miss as he returned fire on his own. The fist-fighting had quickly evolved into a fire fight, the white hot blasts of energy exploding every rock around them. Raditz carefully ensured they were a safe distance from the pods and drew the fight further away, encouraging him to follow him further away from the camp and up the slope of a mountainside by simply flying backwards each time he got closer.

"Are you running now, Raditz?! I didn't think you were the type to turn coward under pressure!" Goku- or perhaps Kakarot reawakened, hollered with a laugh, panting for breath in-between firing bursts of bright blue Ki with both hands. The amount of power he'd expended just now out of anger exceeded what he'd ever expended in battle before, but he felt he could still go on, provided he could catch his breath now and then. It was strange how much energy he had now, the younger Saiyan thought thought. None of that was as relevant in his mind as the need to vent his frustration towards his brother right now, as he bull-rushed through a hail of large chunks of rock that crumbled from his passing and turned into a large cloud of dust.

A blast caught Raditz in the chest hard enough to crack his armored breastplate and stun him, knocking some of the wind out of his lungs painfully, before he saw the shadow of the large cloud of dust, obscuring the moonlight. He was shaded from the moon now, he could see! Kakarot was a clearly delineated shadow in the smokescreen.

"You arrogant little FOOL!" Raditz roared, throwing his hand forward in the direction his attack came from before he could send more. A bright yellow burst lanced out and struck its target eliciting a prolonged scream this time. The dust cleared from the wake of the blast and for a moment he could see him in midair, enveloped by the lightning bursts of energy, before he dropped his eye level again to avoid the moon.

He quickly flew down to catch his breath while the younger Saiyan did the same, and then sensing an opening, he rushed in and drove his knee into his stomach brutally more than once before he let him go again, watching him roll back in pain before he came back to his feet with a savage smirk.

"Y-you idiot, why can't you just obey me?" Raditz growled, physically shaking. It was taking all he could to not just glance up at the moon, but if he did he was lost, along with his brother.

"You should understand," the younger Saiyan grunted, pushing himself back into his fighting stance, "You're the one always going on and on about how much Saiyans love to fight, after all... I don't know what this true power is you talked about, but I won't run and hide, waiting for someone else to take charge! Even if its dangerous or I might die... I never thought I'd feel a power like this before, but I know that if we fought together like this instead of against each other, we can overcome any challenge..." he grinned wildly, but the expression didn't affect Raditz in the intended way.

Without warning he grabbed his younger brother by the throat and slammed him into the rocky ground roughly, pinning his shoulders with superior strength and staring into his wide, now frightened eyes with his own incredulous glare. His scouter fell off some time ago in their altercation, he realized belatedly, or that blow would have shook it off. It didn't matter at the moment, as his pounding adrenaline threatened to surge over at his brother's stubborn stupidity. _Kakarot, you... YOU..._

"...Why you, you stupid, worthless amnesiac brat-!" Raditz gasped, "Are you telling me just _now_ that you have _no idea _of the transformation that happens when a Saiyan sees the light of the full moon?! You've never once looked in the sky at night as a child?!"

"O-only once or twice..." he confessed, his brow furrowed with straining against the hand around his throat and suddenly very frightened of his brother. "No, my grandpa warned me away from going out on full moon nights- before he died, he - he said that a monster r-roamed outside then and it was dangerous..."

"You imbecile, why are you talking about an earthling like it was family?! You've never known your real grandfather, or you would have been told already-" he grit his teeth. "Your tail, when you look at the full moon, the reflected waves cause you to transform! You lose your senses and transform into a savage giant, ten times more powerful than you are... The Saiyan ape form, Oozaru! Do you understand now?!"

The expression on his brothers face was unreadable as his eyes went blank suddenly, and Raditz snarled in frustration. _What a lost cause..._

The cracked chest-plate of his armor where he'd been struck was aching painfully and making his breathing somewhat difficult. He wheezed, touching the area with his hands coming away wet. _Damn you, I'm wounded again... It doesn't seem too deep, if worst comes to worst a senzu... but first, escape... have to escape..!_

With that, he let go of him and crawled towards the pod crater, eyes squeezed shut, leaving his brother to rub at his sore throat. "Help me, Kakarot, help me get to the pod and away from the moon before I change... I don't want to destroy it and strand us both here... or crush you by accident!"

Away from Raditz, Goku's mind was elsewhere in time entirely.

"I get it now... The monster that crushed grandpa..." he said quietly, without any of the fire from before.

Raditz almost looked back towards the lost, shaky voice, but thought better of it as he was already feeling his tail twitch from looking towards the moon accidentally twice. Suddenly on the edge of his perception, the new and unfamiliar twinge of sensation prickled over his spine, alerting him where his displaced scouter could not.

"No...! Gods, damn you Kakarot, you've wasted too much time! They're HERE!"

Dazed, Goku turned his head from where he knelt and saw a silhouetted figure in the pale red light of the moon, covered by a flowing white cape, and a wild gleam of murderous intent reflected in his eyes even from that distance. He could see at this distance he wore the same style of Saiyan armored shoulders as Raditz, as well as a gleaming piece of purple glass that could only be a scouter. And on his head was a very familiar hairstyle that made him feel somewhat like he was looking in a twisted mirror...

"That armor... You must work for that bastard Freeza," The figure sneered, looking over at Raditz's prone form and then Goku. "I came expecting an abandoned planet, only to find a couple more surviving Saiyans lurking around here? How interesting. An elite and a low class, both unusually strong, and already all warmed up for a fight... And it's a lovely night for it. I'll get to test my new power sooner than I thought!" he laughed, ripping off his white cape to reveal a suit of grey and white banded armor, and sure enough a brown simian-like tail lashed around the waist.

"I needed something to kill some time until this planet is completely drained of life, anyways! But first..." The Saiyan invader cackled heartily, turning to face the full moon...


	18. Chapter 18

**Human Limitations, Chapter 18:**

The Saiyan invader turned towards the red circle of the full moon, and raised two fingers on both hands to point directly at it. With a snarl, a white aura quickly grew around his body, and then released with a snapping hiss, becoming a deafening roar as a massive beam erupted from his fingertips and lanced outwards, towards the lunar surface.

Watching in stunned silence, the younger Saiyan just barely had time to shield his eyes against the bright flash as the distant moon was obliterated in an outpouring of white light; When it cleared, the sky over Zenark was full of stars and nothing else. The red moon was gone in a cloud of space dust.

The younger Saiyan immediately breathed a sigh of relief as the strange effects of the potent moonlight gradually vanished, leaving him calmer and able to think clearly. _What in the world was it that came over me just now? _ he gulped, feeling unnerved at remembering his own behavior for the first time, and equally unnerved as he eyed the smirking Saiyan who had casually inflicted such destruction.

"Raditz... the moon is gone now! You can open your eyes..." The younger Saiyan called cautiously, not taking his eyes off the intruder.

"T-the moon?!"Raditz gasped.

Raditz's head jolted upwards, looking up in shock at the empty sky, then his eyes landed on the Saiyan for the first time. Slowly, Raditz got to his feet, clutching his wounded side. He locked eyes with the Saiyan standing above. _He's a Saiyan, just like Kakarot said... But who's side is he on?_

"That's much better. No more Blutz Waves." The stranger sighed, wiping his forehead with a laugh. "I do hate the Great Ape form. So clumsy, you never know what you're going to _destroy_." He snarled on the last word.

Raditz sprung back into his combat stance, a bead of sweat trickling from his brow as he felt the power still radiating off the intruder with his newly developed senses. _He's strong. But for whatever reason, he doesn't want to transform either. Probably because his ship is nearby as well and might get damaged._

The Saiyan took a step forward and crouched on the edge of the cliff, peering down with one arm supported on his knee casually. "Oh? Why so quiet all of a sudden down there? You looked raring to go a minute ago! Oh well."

Goku gasped slightly, recognizing the silhouette as being practically a mirror image of his own in Saiyan armor.

"Hold it right there! What are your intentions in coming to this planet?!" Raditz shouted up at him, squinting in the gloom.

"Oh ho... I could ask you the very same question! What business do a couple outcasts like you have on a worthless rock like Zenark?" the Saiyan shouted back down. "Who are you two anyway? More of Freeza's rejects?"

"I answer only to the Prince of all Saiyans, as should you if you call yourself Saiyan!" Raditz spat. "I ask again, friend or foe?"

"You _will_ answer to me if you want to keep breathing, scum." The dark Saiyan sneered down haughtily. "But, you answered me already in your own way. Your little loyalty speech gave it all away. So, the little prince-ling still lives, and he sent you here on a mission Freeza isn't supposed to know about, right? And it has something to do with this other Saiyan, without the armor..."

"Ch..." Raditz tensed, realizing the threat was not an idle one. "Fine, have it your way. If you wanted to outright kill us, you would have tried already. I'll return that favor and be courteous. You are ... strong enough to warrant that respect..."

Goku turned to look at his elder brother somewhat in shock. _What's going on here? Is he on the same side as him or not? _

"Ha. That's a little better." the haughty intruder chuckled. "So, was my guess right after all? About time the little bastard grew a pair. Even if he has to act in secret."

The older Saiyan snarled, but kept quiet. "Yes, its true. We're here to train, in secret. Kakarot is not registered with Freeza's forces, it's the Prince's intent to use him as his agent when he cannot act... But, please, even if you don't swear loyalty with Vegeta, if you call yourself a Saiyan, keep this a secret-"

"Oh, don't worry about me ratting you out, I'm in no way affiliated with Freeza." The Saiyan laughed disarmingly cheerfully. "I'm under nobody's orders to go anywhere, unlike you. Borders set by the Planet Trade Organization are worth less than dirt to a freebooter like me..."

"A... what?" Goku blurted out. "I've never heard of a freebooter, is that different than a Saiyan?"

"A pirate, Kakarot. He means he's a pirate." Raditz shot back. "He operates outside the law, but fundamentally he serves the same purpose as any mercenary..."

The Saiyan outlaw laughed. "Oh, please! Don't compare me to the likes of you! I'm a king compared to you dogs of Freeza! Yes, I am a pirate! I go where I please, and take whatever catches my eye! Entire systems tremble in their boots at the name Turles! Can your Vegeta still say the same?"

Raditz scowled again at the repeated jabs directed at his prince. "Turles? I think I've heard that name before... Wait, what the..."

Turles smirked, as if his point was proven. Raditz's head jerked up with a start.

"I remember where I've heard that name! I heard a strange rumor in the past," the shaggy maned Saiyan said slowly, "A renegade Saiyan mercenary who deserted on a whim while off planet, abandoning his purge to chase after a stupid legend. I would be surprised to hear he had survived on his own. He was by every account a low-class warrior. That was you?"

"Hmph. You 'elites' were always the same," The other Saiyan smirked, crossing his arms. "Always acting high and mighty. Although this time its rather the reverse, isn't it? While I was away, the whole damn upper class managed to get itself blown up. By an asteroid no less! What a great joke! Hahaha..."

"So you still claim to be the same Turles? Absurd! that man was a low class fighter, and he was much older than me when he deserted seeking the fruit, and that was many years ago!" Raditz growled. "You're clearly younger than me, a-and far stronger! There's no way that can be right..."

The older Saiyan's face suddenly clouded over with doubt. "Unless..."

The Saiyan privateer smirked, a small laugh bursting forth again.

"To answer your questions in order, I am indeed the Turles of whom the rumors speak, and yes, all the rumors about me are true... ALL of them. Including the one that caused me to desert." Turles smiled proudly, placing a hand over his heart dramatically on his grayish-purple chest-plate. "Not to brag too much. I'm sure you read my power-level already, just as I have both of yours. I assure you, your scouter is functioning just fine."

"The legend..." Raditz's lower lip trembled. "It's real? And it's here on this planet?"

"Only since I brought it here." Turles smirked. "If you must know, I planted it just after I landed. This world is not optimal, but so few are nowadays, with Freeza's goons roaming about... It will have to suffice, for now. I bought this at too dear a price. My entire crew perished in our first attempt..."

"Then, the reason you destroyed the moon was..."

"I already told you, I hate not knowing what I destroy. I couldn't have two clumsy Oozaru stomping about. I need this planet _mostly_ intact... to feed the Tree of Might!"

"The Tree of-!?" he froze, eyes blinking as he adjusted to the dim gloom of stars without any moonlight illuminating the land, as he suddenly realized that he had lost sight of the other Saiyan. He looked back and forth in a panic for a moment, and then his eyes adjusted again as he heard a soft noise not far away.

In that instant he'd blinked, the enemy had flown silently from the rocky outcropping to descend among them unnoticed. The two brothers both leaped back in shock instantly, realizing that if he had been serious he could easily have killed at least one of them before they could move against him, with how shaken they were.

The Saiyan who looked like a mirror image of Kakarot tilted his head back and let out a peal of crazy laughter, an amused glint clearly visible in his eyes even in the dimness, illuminated by the soft purple glow of his scouter.

"Does it make you angry that this low class reject could kill you with one hand, if he so desired? Be honest. Are you jealous?"

The younger Saiyan broke into a nervous sweat and stood his ground determinedly, casting a glance at Raditz as if to ask what the plan was. Raditz glanced back at him momentarily, then spat on the ground to one side. _Damn it. He doesn't intend to let us walk away with this information, that much is for sure..._

Goku looked back and forth between Raditz and the Saiyan called Turles in a mix of surprise and confusion. _I wish I knew what they were talking about. Pirate crews... Planting fruits? Legends?_

"Hey, Raditz? What's the Tree of Might?" Goku whispered quickly.

"Be quiet and stay back, Kakarot!" the older Saiyan hissed a little too loud.

"So, your names are Raditz and Kakarot, then?" Turles mused aloud, startling them both. "He certainly doesn't know any manners, does he? If I had to guess though, I'd say the two of you are brothers. You certainly act like it."

The Saiyan called Turles chuckled again, hands on his hips and wrapped his tail protectively around his waist.

"You are both stronger than average..." the Saiyan Pirate said approvingly, stroking his chin as if in thought. His dark face lit up slightly, before he continued.

"If you like, I could let you join my new crew. Together, we could rule the outer quadrant, and neither the Planet Trade nor the Galactic Police could ever stop us!" the Saiyan rouge laughed, eyes glinting. "What do you think? Being in the company of my kinsmen again might be refreshing, and I need loyal people by my side for my organization to grow. And who could understand me better than one of my own kind? Isn't that far better than being treated like a slave by Freeza?"

"That is tempting I'll admit, but I'm afraid I must decline your offer. I'm loyal to the true ruler of all Saiyans... after all, I've owed him my life for a long time now." Raditz swallowed nervously, watching for any sudden movement.

"How noble of you." The pirate sneered dripping with sarcasm. "Is the army ration really so appealing? The Prince is nothing more than one of Freeza's dogs, and he eats the slop he's served... Come with me, and you'll plunder the stars to your heart's content, and feast on delicious food and drink every day..."

"Did he mention a feast? That sounds really nice right about now..." Goku's ears perked up, stomach letting out a growl almost on cue. "Hey Raditz, can't we eat now, instead of just standing around like this?"

"Shut up, Kakarot...!" his brother hissed, sending a glare his way. "This is serious! You can't seriously be swayed by a food bribe at this point!"

"Oh, he can't? What a shame. Not even for a bite of fruit?" Turles smirked.

Raditz's ears pricked this time, eyes going wide. "You... you can't be serious..."

The younger Saiyan stared between the two native-raised Saiyans in complete incomprehension, scowling slightly.

"So, whats the big deal about this fruit? I don't know what either of you are talking about?! I thought there was going to be a big fight when you showed up! Or are we eating now? Will somebody please tell me what's going on?!" The younger Saiyan made a sour face.

Turles chuckled. "But we'll get to that soon enough. First let me just have a look at you... My, oh, my, you _do_ look familiar, Kakarot. It's true what they say, low class warriors are often cast in the same mold..."

Turles turned towards him with a look of practiced disinterest, looking him up and down. It was a strange feeling, seeing someone who looked almost exactly like you. The main difference the younger Saiyan could see was that his skin was a deep chestnut brown, or that his hair had a few extra spikes to it, seeming to curve upwards like a pair of horns. As he looked the Saiyan pirate smirked again, the familiar face twisting cruelly.

"I can see you're burning with curiosity. I'll show you then. Here." As he said it he reached into the front of his armor to some hidden pocket, and pulled out a half eaten chunk of some kind of melon, around the size of a fist. The exterior was a tough looking rind covered in red knobby protrusions. "This is the last piece I saved from the previous harvest."

"What in the world is that weird looking thing? What are you talking about?"

"Allow me to explain. The Tree of Might is a legendary tree said to belong to the gods of destruction, the fruit of which is solely intended to be fed to a race of immortal dragons, or so the legends claimed. Eating it yourself is said to give great power and lengthen your life. But like with all legends, there's a catch..."

"H-how absurd..." Raditz scoffed. _That can't possibly be true...No, I refuse to believe an outlandish story like that, even if the tree exists..._

The younger Saiyan had his own thoughts on the matter.

_Fruit of the gods to feed a race of immortal dragons... Does he mean the eternal dragons? _Goku thought, trying to make sense of it all. _Could that really be the source of their power? Kami is a god, but he never told me any of this... but then again, I don't really know anything about Shenron..._

"And the catch is...?" the younger Saiyan asked, curiosity overcoming his misgivings about the dark doppelganger before him.

"Simply that it is too powerful. It was never meant for the mortal realm. It grows rapidly, so rapidly that it can outgrow even a planet of this magnitude in mere hours. It spreads its roots far and wide and sucks the nutrients from an entire planet, turning it into a lifeless husk forever after..."

"What?! You mean you used such a method, just to get stronger... But that... that's monstrous!" Goku's scowl deepened. "What gives you the right?!"

"Heh. You have a strange outlook. Think what you will. By all accounts, this fruit is a monster... But, If you eat it yourself..."

Before either of them could react, he quickly popped the remainder of the fruit into his mouth and crunched down on it several times right in front of them, spraying a few drips of clear juice from the corner of his mouth. He swallowed it quickly and licked his lips. Before their stunned eyes, his chest suddenly swelled, muscles bulging outwards at least two inches and straining against the skin before settling down. His already overpowering aura, however, swelled and stayed that way.

"N-no way! His power just shot up like crazy!?" The younger Saiyan gasped. "So it's real! How awful... I'm sure he wasn't hiding any of his power before, but he's far stronger than he was just a second ago! Oh man..."

The older Saiyan said nothing, but his eyes remained wide, and the slight tremble had gotten worse.

Turles once again turned his attention towards the younger Saiyan.

"How interesting. You can sense energy without a scouter? Is that some mutation, or an acquired skill?" Turles asked, coldly cordial.

Raditz shot an angry look at his younger brother, but said nothing. _Damn it, he needs to learn to hold his tongue in front of his betters, the upstart brat,_ he thought, a sick feeling rising in his gut. _Doesn't he realize this Turles is probably going to kill us both? He's even stronger than he already was... this is not good._

"It's... it's an ability unlocked through training and meditation." Goku swallowed nervously. The dark skinned Saiyan had devoted his full attention to him, and it was unnerving. Off to the side, Raditz sweat profusely, wishing he could signal his brother somehow.

"Fascinating. I'll have to test that theory myself. Now... _You_ don't seem to have ever worked for Freeza, and you don't seem at all like other Saiyans..." Turles smiled, his dark eyes twinkling.

_He's toying with him, trying to lower his guard with words... I have to stop this... _ Raditz cleared his throat nervously. "Turles... There's no need for this to turn violent, is there?"

Raditz flinched as the overpowering presence turned to look at him again, still with that cold smirk. If this pirate was anything like the prince, that meant danger.

"W-whatever your business here Turles, you have my word we won't interfere with it any further. If you're no friend of Freeza, then we'll just take our leave, and nobody has to know either of us were here..."

"How I wish I could take your word for it, kinsman. Unfortunately your type are hardly trustworthy either, and I can't have you blowing up my ship from space and turning me in for the reward..." The Saiyan pirate chuckled darkly. "I don't need your guarantees anyway. I know you won't cause trouble for me..."

Raditz knew too well not to breathe a sigh of relief. The hardhearted pirate's words made his breath hitch in his throat and a gnawing pit of fear yawn underneath him as he looked into those eyes so like his own brother's... The Saiyan pirate laughed as he confirmed his fears with his next words.

"I'll make sure of it, when I leave your corpses as fertilizer for the Tree. I'll try not to kill you too quickly. Try and keep me entertained for the next few hours, if you can..."

The sky above suddenly lit up as streaks of fire began falling in the bleak sky, the pulverized remnants of the former giant moon pulled in by the gravity and raining down in sparks as they burned up into nothing further on in the atmospheric entry.

Elsewhere, the planet's crust began to split and crumble as mighty roots began worming their way around and through, choking the life out of every towering tree on the jungle planet , soon to be a jungle consisting of only one tree.

The Saiyans faced down their impending fates, in what would be the most terrifying battle they had yet faced.

And not far away, Raditz's forgotten misplaced scouter continued to tick and whir as the secret mechanism within recorded each step of the events.

'-_Soon.-_' chuckled a muffled, distorted voice, barely audible even if anyone had been privy to the communication channel. But of course, no one was. He had made sure of it. Even so, he gloated now, the soft laughter echoing in the dead of space only to be recorded on his own device, only he would ever hear its contents in full. The anticipation was unbearable, even for one with his degree of patience.

'-_So little you know, so much less you suspect. The pieces are in place. My movements remain undetected. Soon... soon it will all be fulfilled...-' _the shadow practically purred as it crowed over it's own cleverness.

Off planet, in a cloaked ship that had trailed the Saiyans in silence since their departure from earth- or perhaps even earlier- a shadowy figure watched and listened as the events unfolded below, secure in the knowledge that everything was proceeding exactly according to plan.

...

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong> The shadowy figure rears his head again, but keeps his identity to the shadows. Those of you reading very carefully may have seen his subtle influence as far back as chapter 6, and wondered who or what was lurking in the background? Next chapter coming soon continues from here in epic length, Turles makes his move, and the Saiyan's battle to survive on planet Zenark commences! The seeds of might germinate ... and after that, something else makes its move back on planet Earth... Stay tuned.


	19. Chapter 19

**Human Limitations, Chapter 19:**

_The one sided battle of fate, one against two on planet Zenark continues towards its finale..._

The falling red sparks of the shattered moon, the fallen stars over the battlefield continued to fizzle and burn out, strobe lighting the area in ever changing, disorienting shadows as all three moved at once.

Turles was the first to make his move, surprising them both by vanishing before he'd appeared to even take a stance, and reappearing again even closer to cock back his arm in a highly telegraphed punch. It was obvious from the delay and the smirk on his face he was merely toying with them, a fact that became even more obvious when his punch vanished before it even made contact with Raditz's block, his first approach merely an after image.

A half second later an echoing, ghostly laugh signaled the pirate's re-emergence, and the punch struck Goku behind him unprepared, luckily for him not full force, but hard enough to send him straight to the ground face down.

"Kakarot!" Raditz yelped in surprise, rushing quickly to kick the Saiyan Pirate from behind.

Before he could even complete the motion, Turles intercepted his kick in mid swing with a parrying forearm and laughed tauntingly.

"Not good enough! And if I may make a suggestion... You REALLY shouldn't shout before a surprise attack!" Turles sneered, all the while punctuating each word with a relentless volley of punches, ending with a kick that folded Raditz practically in half.

The elite stumbled as the blows ceased, clutching his ribs as bitter stomach bile fought its way up his throat, instantly taking a knee as his lunch threatened to leave his stomach the way it came.

The next instant, the Saiyan pirate stumbled forward as he was struck from behind and below by a kick as the younger Saiyan pushed off the ground and spun like a Capoeira fighter.

"Surprise!" Goku taunted, resuming his stance and launching a feint at his opponents face, only to duck the counter-blow and strike heavily at his side with a fierce elbow.

"Oh ho! We have a live one now, don't we?" The Saiyan pirate chuckled approvingly. "We'll just have to correct that mistake."

Turles stepped forward quickly, almost vanishing from the younger Saiyan's view, but this time he was prepared.

Feinting left and then stepping right, Goku barely sidestepped the knee aimed to slam into his torso; Turles seemed surprised that he could move quickly enough in a burst to vanish from his view, but quickly recovered and snapped the leg back and returned it as a harsh kick aimed for his head, but Goku ducked and parried, pushing his foot to continue past its end point and swivel his attacker further than he intended on turning. Turles realized what was happening and quickly turned the rotation into a spinning backhanded chop as he brought his footing back to ground , only for that too to be ducked as the younger Saiyan dropped all the way to the ground at Ki-accelerated speed.

_I haven't been honing my skills my whole life just to lose to brute strength, even if you are fast, _he thought. _This is no different than fighting Raditz when he was much stronger and faster than me- and now I know ways to defend myself against that!_

Goku's next move was already planned out, he aimed to kick out the pirate's other leg below him; Even if you can fly, having your feet kicked out from under you after that is disorienting humiliating, and has painful consequences.

With the sweep of his leg, Turles was suddenly knocked down, but not for long, catching himself and vaulting backwards with a hand spring before Goku could come down on him with his stomp, and at the same time bringing his legs up and catching the younger Saiyan on the chin, stunning him as his jaws clashed together.

As the two caught their breath, Raditz growled and forced himself to his feet, wiping a trail of spittle from his chin, his expression soured from the taste of his own vomit. Stepping forward, he placed his hand in front of his younger brother, deftly shoving him back.

"Step aside Kakarot! It's my turn!" he barked angrily, the veins standing out clearly on his forehead as he clenched his fists, as he assumed another stance, this time with one fist in front of the other in a wide crouch.

"HAAAAAAA!"

With a single elongated yell his aura flared up larger than before, shattering a small portion of the cracked stone around them and kicking up a miniature whirlwind around his feet.

Turles blinked in surprise as his scouter went off again, yellow symbols flashing their readouts on the purple tinted viewer before stopping with a harsh bleep like a digitized klaxon horn.

"So, you can increase your power slightly with anger..." Turles hummed, still smirking without a care. "You're not completely untalented after all."

"DIE, FOOL!" Raditz roared, rushing headlong into the startled smirking pirate.

His first blow was a right hook imbued with energy that collided with an upraised block that rattled them both as it cracked the purple-grey armor plating over the pirate's forearm. Turles grunted, putting his shoulder into it more and throwing him off.

Raditz growled loudly and continued his assault, snapping a kick on the same side followed by a left punch, and when that was blocked similarly, returning to the right side to connect with the side of the pirate's with an elbow strike as he turned, cocking his left fist back in the same motion only to piston it back out instantly, laying into his opponent with a highly practiced set of moves like a jackhammer, only for the rest of his strikes to be blocked again.

Turles huffed, rubbing his jaw where he'd been struck while dodging and blocking the rest with minimal effort despite the high speeds involved. "Lucky hit." he commented dryly. "Shall I step up my game a notch?"

The Saiyan pirate sidestepped at high speed and bobbed and weaved around the following volley of strikes with comparative ease, smirking further as the younger Saiyan jumped in to assist his brother, and the match quickly turned into a bout of relentless attacks on either side, with the smirking pirate blocking their kicks and punches with one hand each, using his knees to shield himself wherever necessary.

After a moment of merely defending, the smirking Saiyan marauder took the offensive once again, forcing them to block or dodge as he weaved around their fists at high speeds and attacked the two with renewed gusto.

Stringing together a series of chain punches and a roundhouse kick, the pirate managed to break off their attack, as the brothers were forced into backing off until they were no longer in the range of both attacking together.

_He's really good, _the younger Saiyan thought, a strange rush of excitement coming over him as he recalled the way he had been pushed off by an opponent whose attention had only been half on him.

In the middle of thinking that with a smile on his face, Turles suddenly turned his full attention on him, launching himself like a ki powered rocked from a distance and kicking him in the stomach, hard.

Grunting, the younger Saiyan managed to tense up so as not to take too much damage from the blow, but was unable to block in time and was knocked off his feet at high speed, ending up slamming through a grove of trees some distance away at the base of the mountain.

Turning again, the marauding Saiyan pirate met the rush of the older brother, as Raditz followed his charge a half second after reading his intention.

Turles caught the fist that was thrown at his face, releasing it only to pull away from the knee kick that followed immediately afterwards.

The Saiyan Elite spun with the momentum of his kick to get out of range of possible counter just in time to come face to face with the Saiyan pirate once more, who seemed to be following his steps without even taking a stance and sneering down at him almost languidly, a fist raised for a simple straight punch. Gasping in surprise, Raditz managed to narrowly sidestep the blow that would have surely crunched down on his nose, only for the Saiyan pirate to halt his fist where it stopped rather than retract it, and simply shift on his toes, turning an extended arm into a backhand that struck like the swinging boom on a sailboat.

"Haha, how clumsy of me," Turles chuckled.

"Damn it..." Raditz growled.

Cocking back his right hand, he quickly lobbed a narrow spray of energy waves underhand.

Turles forced himself to a stop in midair and batted the blasts out of his way with a quick series of movements.

"How about THIS!" the Elite Saiyan shouted, quickly firing off two handed burst of Ki.

Turles easily caught the energy wave with the back of his hand and shouldered it aside, and with the same movement turned his other hand in front of him, his entire fist glowing with dull violet radiance writhing as if it wanted to be set loose already- With a single flick of his wrist he sent a small but wide hail of ki blast bullets flying, stinging him and sending him flying back through the air with a yell of pain, clutching his face and chest.

Watching in despair, the younger Saiyan thought quickly and took the opportunity he saw with Turles' back turned. Cupping his hands at waist height, he grunted as he forced his body to expel ki more rapidly than he would have dared before, quickly forming a fluctuating blue orb of light that almost burned his hands with its own heat.

"KamehameHA!" came the quick shout from the distance, and the next sound was an ear-splitting explosion that lasted only a split second, before the warbling fluctuating tone of the pure energy wave took over all other sound.

The beeping of his scouter alerted Turles a second before its arrival, and he tucked in his feet and sprung several feet into the air just in time to miss being struck in the back by a searing blue energy beam the thickness of a fallen log and the length of a full grown pine as it rushed past, ripping away the air and the remaining forest in its wake, quickly cut off as its wielder realized it had missed its mark.

"Damn it, he can dodge that well even without sensing it!" the younger Saiyan growled in frustration, jumping back to take to the air in preparation for whatever counterattack was coming. _His reflexes and sight are fantastic, but there has to be some way to confuse him, but how!?... Wait, I've got an idea that might just work... I'll just have to borrow one of your moves..._

"Let me handle him, Kakarot! You just support me whenever you can!" Raditz hollered down towards his recovering brother, while he flanked and cut loose another quickly charged blast.

"You think you can _handle _me? Hahaha!" Turles turned easily in midair and fired a salvo of shots more than equal to its power in return, laughing all the while. "You've lots of bravado, and big mouths for a pair of brats, but that's ALL you've got! I'm superior to you in EVERY way! When will you admit you've bitten off more than you can chew!?"

Raditz winced from the heat as he scraped by the edge of the blast, and stepped into its wake as he avoided the next volley.

_I'll show you whose bitten off more than they can chew, once I make you eat those words! The Double Sunday comes with two servings! I hope you choke on it!_ Raditz snarled inwardly, dodging as best he could and staying under the cover of the dust their attacks kicked up. He found it surprisingly easy to lock onto the massive power level in front of him, now that he could sense it's life force, and dodging it this way was easier than using a scouter. He didn't even need to look to confirm the position and status of his younger brother, who was circling around, although Raditz wasn't sure what he was doing quite yet, he seemed to be stopping and charging his energy repeatedly. _What the hell is that Kakarot doing down there? I suppose I'll trust him to know what he's doing, for now..._

Meanwhile, Raditz focused his power into the charge of his signature move, flowing out of his palms into a massive ball of the same , then as he gave it the final push it ripped out like water from behind a broken dam, the dual beams lanced out and struck where he knew Turles' position to be and engulfed it... only for him to realize too late he wasn't there anymore!

"D-damn it, he predicted it and vanished in advance, faster than even I could detect!?" Raditz assumed a more on guard stance quickly, and tried to pinpoint the fast moving energy in time.

The sharp beeping of Turles's own scouter alerted him to his position before his own reflexes did, as he realized with a start that the Saiyan Pirate was right behind him! The dust parted as both their auras kicked up at once, Raditz rushing forward and ducking to avoid the attack he knew was coming, even as Turles' energy infused chop slashed the air where his neck had been moments before. The two of them rocketed upwards into the sky, Turles directly on his tail.

"Bastard!" Raditz screamed as he turned, firing a quickly charged blast that came out like a ball of lightning and struck his enemy point blank.

"Urgh! Not bad, but not good enough..." Turles' smirk was diminished only slightly as the attack broke the left side pauldron of his armor, grazing his shoulder in the process.

"How about THIS! Double Sunday!" He extended both arms a second time, firing both halves of his signature attack at once. Twin orbs of pure power ripped out of his palms, the slow beams following a split second later to roar towards Turles at point blank range, increasing in speed!

_Yes, now try and dodge THIS in either direction and see what happens...! _The Saiyan elite thought anxiously, sweat dripping down into his shaggy black mane even with the windchill of their rapid movement.

Turles smirked as he saw it coming, slowing down to allow distance from the fleeing Saiyan and drifting towards the left to allow the attack to pass...

Raditz smirked savagely in anticipation._ I'll separate the beam and trap you in a pincer attack!_

Suddenly, Turles jerked back and resumed his position, now in the center of the massive V shaped attack. His aura flared up and he rocketed even closer to Raditz, passing between his extended arms before the Saiyan even realized he'd left himself open!

Raditz dropped the blast as soon as he could, trying to capitalize on their sudden close proximity to lash out with a two handed chop to either side of Turles' head, but his efforts were thwarted instantly with a merciless headbutt that cracked down on his nose and brow, drawing blood from his forehead. Reeling backwards, the Saiyan elite stared up in shock.

Suddenly, the pirate's tail caught his eye, not fastened as securely as it should have been tucked during the excitement of the battle, and he pretended to lose balance from the head wound and then made his grab as quickly as he could.

Again he was denied, this time swatted away by the tail itself mere moments after his fingers closed around it, in a moment that resembled nothing more than a game of 'stop hitting yourself', with the tail lashing upwards and striking him in the teeth with his own knuckles.

"How pathetic are you...? Aiming for my tail? Is that the best an Elite warrior like yourself is capable of?!" the pirate cackled, picking up speed and suddenly driving his kneecap into his stomach, followed by driving his elbow harshly into his spine, his durable layers of armor cracking completely apart to expose a small part of his back, and something in his lower spine creaking along with it, bringing a stab of searing pain that he barely managed not to scream from, before an even more terrifying numbness took over in one of his legs. Hitting the ground, he realized he had to act quickly, and went for his senzu beans.

_D-damn this...! My spine... He must have no intention of risking fighting both of us at once, so he's taking me out of the picture... Either that, or he doesn't know his own strength yet... I have no choice, but to use a Senzu bean, _he thought, quickly removing one from his armor's pouch surreptitiously and chomping down on it while the Saiyan pirate was busy taunting him.

"You should know I long ago realized what a weakness my tail could be, and I went through great pains to make sure it wouldn't be a problem." Turles taunted, waving his tail in front of him once more before tucking it back around his waist like a furry belt.

"Damn..." Raditz cursed low, drifting back slowly cautiously to get out of range of his taunting adversary. _Good. My spine is healed, and I'm slightly more durable now, thanks to the increase in power. A healing tank might not have been able to fix that... Hopefully that won't happen ever again,_ he thought, sweating nervously, _If it does, I'll die there for sure..._

"Of course, a weakling like you who aims below the belt like that probably hasn't figured it out. Squeezing your tail would probably put you right to sleep, am I right? I can practically see it now, how cute..."

"Shut up..." Raditz growled dangerously. "I'll kill you, bastard..."

Turles merely chuckled in response. "Really now, how is it that low-bred trash like you is considered an Elite warrior?"

Raditz grit his teeth so fast that he could have sworn sparks flew, and the vein that stood out on his forehead throbbed painfully even as his eyes burned.

"Damn you... Stop mocking me! I AM an ELITE!" Raditz screamed, launching a careless un-aimed blast into the air. Turles barely had to move his head to avoid it. The Saiyan pirate smirked, rushing forward to simply bury the toe of his armored boot in his stomach, further shattering the armor and lifting him into the air as the breath rushed from his lungs, followed by a wheeling kick to send him spiraling out of control towards the ground.

Raditz screamed again, from pain this time, as he found himself touching solid ground again mere seconds afterwards, knocked down by Turles' counter and then pinned as the Saiyan descended almost as quickly to plant one foot on his exposed tail, crushing down agonizingly, his other boot holding him down by his injured side, made even worse by the fact that he was putting his whole body weight upon him in the increased gravity; he could feel a piece of rib bone grinding inside, not the first to snap during their exchange, and knew the others would soon follow and puncture something vital if he didn't get out from under the oppressive boot, and fast. However, even at his increased power, it was true that he hadn't trained his tail properly yet. As of that instant, he was immobilized and defenseless as his laughing enemy ground his heel into him.

His salvation came hardly a moment later, as Goku appeared out of thin air, cloaked in a blast that enveloped his outstretched fist! His fist connected with Turles' jaw at the instant he turned his head in surprise, alerted by his scouter. The blow turned his head back the other direction instantly in a way that must have rattled his brain severely, causing him to release Raditz and stumble back, clutching his head.

"Raditz, are you okay?! Don't -"

He didn't have time to finish or respond before Turles was back on his feet, returning punch for punch with savage glee and sending the younger Saiyan who looked just like him spinning rapidly end over end to land and form a small crater of his own.

"Hahaha! GOOD!" The pirate hollered gleefully, cracking the knuckles on his hands one handed just by clenching them. "Be sure and struggle for a long time, so I can test out my new power!"

Raditz rolled to one side as the Saiyan charged, ignoring him for the time being. "Kakarot, its about damn time you remembered me..." he groaned, recovering. After a few more seconds, he successfully suppressed the pain and got to his feet. He'd still have to be careful not to take too much damage, but his thick armor plates would provide some protection for his ribs. Glancing around, it still took him a minute to find them, but when he did his eyes widened in shock as he beheld an extremely peculiar sight.

"SUPER SOKIDAN!" Goku shouted, thrusting his hand forward.

Turles was being assailed on all sides by around four or five glowing blue spheres that emerged from the trees all around them seemingly on command!

"What the hell?" the older Saiyan blinked, eyes searching quickly and determining that his brother was in fact among them, but the rest were pure energy. Making some strange hand signals that almost looked like a conductor, he moved each orb into position and launched them like miniature cannons, whizzing through the air fast enough to leave a trail and echo with a booming sound on each turn.

Turles dodged two, only to be struck in the back of the head by a blast that simply concussed rather than exploding on impact, and then moved out of range in time to avoid being destroyed. Searching, his eyes found Kakarot again, who was moving just as fast to stay out of Turles' direct line of sight, since the pirate immediately attacked whenever he could distinguish the blasts apart from him.

"I already knew he could bend his beams freely to suit his wishes, but this level of control... Kakarot is suppressing his power to match and manipulating the energy blasts to move for him..." Raditz murmured aloud in astonishment, clenching his fist anxiously as his brother narrowly avoided a close range beam attack that might have taken him out of the fight. Raditz gasped as he realized his brother was purposefully staying at the same range as the blasts to work his strategy.

_What are you doing fighting at such risky range, Kakarot?! You don't have any armor at all, just those lizard-hide rags you made yourself! Your body can't take half as much punishment as mine, one good shot from him and it's over for you!_

Instead of running away or returning fire, the younger Saiyan strafed sideways just enough and used that strange two fingered motion with both hands to send a blast he'd previously looped around behind himself rushing in front of him to intercept the next blast. The ensuing explosion covered his escape, and Raditz watched as his brother circled around while ordering the remaining blasts to converge behind him and then scatter. Unable to tell the difference between one power level and another from a scouter screen, Turles couldn't target him as he fled, firing off useless shots one after the other. It was similar enough to his strategy of using dust to cover his movements, but the addition of a cluster of remotely controlled blasts made it so much more unpredictable. Even from here, he could tell Turles was starting to sweat.

Raditz suddenly remembered how he'd sensed him stopping and charging a little bit at a time

"Working around your opponents blind spots with traps set in advance. How long did it take you to plan that out and set your trap from the sidelines, Kakarot..." Raditz smirked, thinking aloud again. He let out a sharp laugh, suddenly feeling like the victory was not so unattainable after all.

No longer content to watch from the sidelines and nurse his injuries, Raditz powered up and dove into the chaos once again, catching Turles from behind completely by surprise before he noticed his scouter's blaring alarm, and latching his arms around his thick torso and locking his hands in place, his legs bracing against his victim's knees, effectively sealing the larger warrior's movement. The added boost from the Senzu seemed to be just enough that he wasn't instantly thrown off, as confirmed a second later as Turles grunted angrily.

"Whoa, got him! Nice work, Raditz! Great timing, too, I was running on fumes for a minute there..." Goku panted, wiping his brow. The energy balls quivered and fizzled out just at that instant, seemingly having exhausted their internal power lifespan. The younger Saiyan cautiously and quickly fished out a senzu bean, throwing his brother a pleading look for an instant.

"Kakarot, you don't need my permission _now_. Go ahead, take a senzu, fool... We want this to count."

_Besides, _he smirked to himself as he thought, _you really earned it..._

Turles' watched in confusion as the younger Saiyan removed something small from the pouch around his neck and proceed to eat it.

"The hell is that? Are you... eating Saibamen pods over there? Sickening..." The Saiyan pirate sneered in disgust.

"You're dead wrong, Turles. But, you'll that see in a moment..." Raditz chuckled, as Turles watched uneasily.

Suddenly his scouter beeped again, indicating the rise in power that came with his body's supply of Ki being suddenly and completely replenished.

"W-what in all the hells?" Turles' strangled voice gritted out as he ceased his struggles in shock. "You were about to collapse from exhaustion just a second ago... How- how did you restore your energy?! What was that?!"

"Just a little snack I brought from home." The younger Saiyan grinned, flexing his arm and stretching his stiff neck with an audible series of pops. "Alright, now I'm ready for round two!"

Turles' eyes sharpened angrily as he . "So, you had this up your sleeve the whole time. I thought I was doing less damage than I should have...!"

"Alright, Kakarot, give this bastard a little taste of pain!" Raditz smirked, locking eyes with him over his captive's shoulder.

The younger Saiyan nodded, wasting no further time in rushing forward, lacing his fingers behind his doppelganger's head to smash his kneecap into the face of the mocking Saiyan Pirate with a startled grunt of pain.

"Urck... That was a cheap shot..." Turles grunted with restrained fury, snorting a bit of blood from his nose to trickle over his lips and bared teeth. "Such a cowardly tactic! Your power levels may have increased, but you're still nobodies compared to me!"

The younger Saiyan's eyes widened slightly as he froze, about to launch a followup attack.

'_Cowardly... Is this cowardly?' _Goku suddenly thought. '_No, this isn't a tournament match, it's kill or be killed... He said he'd kill us... He's nothing but a bully himself... but, still, this...'_

Raditz chuckled, squeezing tighter, the sound of muscle tissue straining and pulling tight like an iron cord practically audible as he maintained his grip on the struggling pirate, though he was sweating from the effort, Turles himself was unable to break free.

"Well, well, well. He doesn't seem to have learned anything from that little taste of pain. Kakarot, how about serving up a side order of humility!" Raditz barked the order, his smirk growing.

Without any response, the younger Saiyan grimaced as he slammed his left fist into the Saiyan's armor hard, leaving an indent for the briefest of moments. Turles grunted lightly, cheeks puffing with the exhalation and a drop of blood flying from his nose with the pressure, but otherwise giving no sign or sound of pain as he glowered darkly at his attacker, even as small cuts opened up on his face from the harsh treatment. Raditz focused on simply holding back any attempts to escape, and continued to egg-on his brother to press his attack harder.

"Keep it up, brother, he can't hold out much longer! Soften him up some more! You can be the one to finish him off!" Raditz grit his teeth and tightened his grip on the immobilized pirate, deftly staying away from the attempted headbutt that Turles sent his way as he whipped his head back.

Goku nodded, but he couldn't smile as Raditz did while doing something like this, as he felt something was slightly off about letting Raditz hold down his opponent for this kind of continuous pummeling. But as it stood Raditz was struggling to hold on, and he needed to do this regardless if he wanted to avoid dying ; The opponent was too strong to take risks. He shook off his misgivings about the act after a moment and focused on pounding the same spots until they were sore and bloody- face, stomach, ribs, roughly cuffing him on the ears, all the while Turles continued staring menacingly at him, no longer smirking at all. The continued stare was possibly the most unnerving aspect of the ordeal as it continued on for long, unbearable minutes, with each volley of unblocked blows reminding himself that this was simply what he HAD to do, like it or not. Raditz meanwhile seemed to be having the time of his life, laughing louder with each hit that shook him through the body of his captive.

"Go on and scream, for all the good it'll do you! I know it's starting to hurt that bloated ego of yours..." the wild haired elite taunted with a laugh, drawing a growl from the trapped pirate at last.

The younger Saiyan suddenly stopped attacking, hesitating with his fist drawn back for the next strike. The bloodied Pirate peered up through his lanky bangs, glued to his forehead by a gash that dripped profusely, staining both his face and Goku's knuckles, and forcing the left eye to squeeze shut above the now crooked nose; The face that looked so much like his he could barely find the differences, and now he was questioning those differences himself.

'_No... This is completely wrong.' _he thought suddenly. He looked at his own hands, clenching it and looking at the marks on his own knuckles, where it met with hard bone and crunched against teeth. His breathing slowed down as he came down from the high of adrenaline of the fight, and something like indigestion after a bad piece of meat turned in his stomach, and now he knew, he understood what he was feeling. '_This... is not the right way to fight. It's not my way."_

"Why did you stop, brother? It was just getting to the good part. Tired of playing with this punching bag already?" Raditz called from behind, his wild long hair poking from behind the other Saiyan's shoulders. "Or maybe you recon its time to put this fool out of his misery, eh?"

The younger Saiyan was about to tell him what he really thought, when suddenly he was interrupted by a loud snarl, almost more like a rabid dog than a man's voice.

"Pfah! Bastards! It's one thing to try and kill me..." Turles glared murderously as he spat a glob of bloody saliva in his direction. "But disrespecting me? Enough fooling around! I'll give you suffering, ten times worse humiliation than what you just put me through!"

Raditz suddenly stiffened as a vice-like grip seized his tail, and then his body went completely limp, falling away from the Saiyan pirate before yanking to a sudden stop at the end of his tail.

"R-Raditz, whats wrong-?!" Goku gasped, realizing late what happened, even as a gust of wind in the the form of an energy wave imbued palm knocked him backwards, striking the ground near the foothills of the mountain and cratering almost instantaneously. He groaned, then fell back, aching all over and unable to breathe in just yet.

Before he was able to get up, he was suddenly bombarded with an angry wave of energy from the same outstretched hand, and then another, and a third, a hail of dozens of thin trailing missiles of violet energy striking him and all around him, hard enough that his body flailed and convulsed both from the shock of impact and the energy flowing into him making his muscles spasm painfully - until it was suddenly over. He couldn't move.

Turles' tail writhed angrily even as he used it to maintain his grip on Raditz's, coiled around it like some kind of hairy python. As he'd taken the beating, he'd stealthily uncoiled it and snaked his tail back, and the tied it to Raditz's which was still tied around his waist. Wiping the blood from his face, he spat a glob of mixed blood and saliva down at the unconscious Saiyan and made an expression of disgust.

"Seems I was right about that tail of yours. Sleeping like a baby... Not nearly as cute as I imagined, once it's actually in effect. Swinging by your ass end up isn't exactly flattering or dignified, is it?" Turles laughed slightly at his own jest, before resuming his serious frown.

Below, the younger Saiyan groaned as he took inventory of his injuries, not liking what he found at all. Almost half of his teeth shattered instantly and pouring blood from his mouth, he coughed and turned his head so he didn't suck it into his lungs accidentally, and panted for breath as his mind tried to process what had just happened.

_That power was insane. That was intended to kill me for sure._ He coughed again, splattering blood over his body which was at the same time painful and numbed by shock, twitching as he tried to move anything; His limbs almost seemed pinned in the twisted, spreadeagled position he'd crashed in on the sloping mountainside, and breathing had become painful, with a wet sensation that definitely indicated internal injury, probably very bad news. He wondered what was broken and where to cause this, and whether he'd be able to reach for the senzu bean in time, but he worried even more about what would happen to Raditz if he didn't regain consciousness and do something about his tail...

"Hmph. So-called Elite. Even without the use of my arms and legs, my tail alone would be enough to wring the neck of a cowardly back-biter like you," Turles whispered venomously, before shifting the grip to one of his now freed hands. "Unfortunately for you, I promised to make you suffer. You won't die quickly from what I'll do to you..."

Watching in horror, the younger Saiyan found it hard not to look away as the ruthless pirate lashed out with his right hand over and over, slamming into Raditz's midsection with punches that were slower than what he'd been hit with, but not by much. He was pulling his punches just enough to prolong the agony. His next strike found the right arm, and even from far below there was an audible snap as the muscle and bone deformed from the strike. The semi-conscious Saiyan seemed to wake up for a second and let out a wheeze of pain, his face twisting, only to lapse back into unconsciousness again as the beating continued in a methodical fashion. Barely two seconds had passed by, but Goku's rapidly observant eyes counted thirty seven individual punches, and the armor was suddenly gone completely, leaving him almost nude save for the stretchy black sleeveless jumpsuit, the gloves, the boots, and the armbands; Nothing that could soften the blows remained. Turles yanked the last pieces apart with a snort, removing the broken pauldrons that were barely hanging on to the shoulders and hips to admire his work, the discolored bruising already forming on the torso.

"Curses... He passed out again so easily! That was hardly satisfying at all. Come on, I want to hear you tell me just how bad it hurts..."

The Saiyan pirate slowly raised his hand, glowing faintly and crackling with violet ki like an electrical charge, darting back and forth seemingly at random as the charge built in anticipation of shocking him awake, or possibly to his end...

"Stop..." Goku growled weakly, gasping for breath. "S-STOOOP THIIIS!"

The pirate paused his vicious beating and turned to look in surprise at the source of the voice.

"So, Kakarot. You're still alive?" Turles said with some amusement in his voice, raising an eyebrow. "I was certain that blast killed you. Or the blast that came after it. You are a tough one, aren't you?"

"Please..." the younger Saiyan begged, attempting to force himself into a sitting position. He still couldn't move much of his body, however, so he merely flopped back down with a gasp.

"...'Please' what? I can't hear you." Turles growled down at him, hovering somewhat lower to listen with a hand cupped to one ear. The sadistic pirate slowly smirked.

"Wait, let me guess... You must be in a lot of pain by now, after you dared to defy me and lose. Are you begging for your life, or a swifter death? I suppose the least I can give you is a warrior's death, as befitting a fellow Saiyan..."

"I don't... I don't care about any of that... Let... let my brother go!" The younger Saiyan pleaded, determination glinting in his eyes.

The Saiyan pirate looked at him in surprise with his one untouched eye going wide, speechless for a moment, then scowling in anger.

"This scum is more important to you, is that it? So much that you would debase yourself begging for him, rather than yourself?" he glared at the limp form dangling from his fist. "Why _should_ I let him go? He offends my very pride with his miserable existence!"

"He... he can't even fight you anymore in his condition! It's just not right to keep hurting him like that..."

"How absurd," Turles sneered, his split lip causing him to wince. "And even worse, a hypocrite... After the treatment I received with my hands tied, you really have the gall to say that? You are not so different at all."

Still in his grip, Raditz groaned softly and stirred, waking up slightly in a Turles nor Goku noticed just that moment, as the younger Saiyan continued pleading.

"No, you're wrong! That's not the way I wanted to fight. It's not like I had much of a choice, after you started this fight, but... Just so you know, I would have liked a fair contest of strength far better. So, please, let him go. You already have everything you wanted..."

"No I don't. I don't have revenge I want, and the humiliation I promised to give you both..." Turles growled, but then paused smirking dismissively out of the uninjured side of his mouth as an idea.

"I'll tell you what. Beg me on your knees for forgiveness for yourself, and I'll consider it. I might even let you join my crew. I think that's a fair deal. But this one insulted me, so has to die..."

"No! Please don't!"

"Come on. Say, 'Please, Lord Turles, spare me and let me join your new crew'..."

Raditz's eyes widened slightly, still half-lidded from the effect of having his tail grabbed and feeling sick and exhausted from the beating he couldn't even remember now, but on some level he heard. _Kakarot...? _

The younger Saiyan swallowed, forcing himself into a sitting position, then into a kneeling position. _My body is practically destroyed... But, if I reach for the senzu, he'll see it and stop me... Damn it... What do I do?_

"P-please... Lord T-" his voice caught as he forced the words out. But they wouldn't come.

"Go on, I'm waiting!" The maniacal pirate growled impatiently. "Don't tell me you're too proud to beg _now_."

Goku shook his head sadly.

"No... I can't call you that... I'm sorry, but I can't ever join with you. I have a place I have to go back to someday..."

"What a shame. But then again, a sensitive type like you isn't really a good match for my crew, anyway..." Turles clicked his tongue, powering up his electric blast once more in the palm of his hand.

Raditz shuddered, semi conscious now as his adrenaline wracked body slowly adjusted to the shock of being seized by the tail, but he still couldn't move more than an inch as he watched the energy charged hand draw closer like a set of claws towards his neck.

"Even so, I... I beg you, please don't kill Raditz. I finally found him after so long..." the younger Saiyan said, voice trembling. "Please, have mercy on him... It's up to you whether you kill me or not, but stop torturing my only brother...!"

The words echoed in the silence on the dark planet, and the pirate paused, speechless once again, his glare unreadable as he locked eyes with the bowing defeated warrior.

"You really are a strange one. If that's you're last request as a warrior... Then fine." Turles smirked, turning towards his motionless captive. "Now... why don't you go join your tail-less reject of a brother!"

That said, Turles hoisted his hand up and switched his grip to grab Raditz's long hair before he could fall and suddenly grabbed Raditz tail at the base with his left hand still cloaked in the crackling fiery energy of his attack, and clamped down; A wash of smoke erupted from it with a horrendous sizzling and popping noise that roused a strangled scream from the semi conscious Saiyan, and seconds later, he released his grip, simply letting him fall with a smirk.

The now mutilated Saiyan landed to his brother's right, rolling into the small crater to land practically in his lap, only to gasp awake from the sudden influx of intensely painful sensations.

"R-Ra... Raditz, no! Are you okay?..." the younger Saiyan barely managed to turn his head.

The older Saiyan groaned, and barely managed to sit upright. He looked down at the cauterized stump of his tail and let out another groan, between a moan an a sob.

The younger Saiyan's mouth formed a line, his eyebrows knitting tightly as a new rage started swelling in his gut, burning like a piece of hot steel had been thrust straight through him. "You call that mercy?!" he snarled, glaring up as he clutched his brother to him.

Turles glared down at them, locking eyes with one first and then the other, and tossed the limp dead appendage down with a scoff of disgust, like someone might when throwing away a moldy piece of fruit.

"The mercy is that I let either of you live at all. I'll keep my word and spare your pathetic brother's life for now, provided you don't provoke me any further. I wouldn't extend that honor to anyone but a Saiyan, you know... But in exchange..." he smirked viciously, extending his hand, and made a simple upward motion with his pointer finger.

Goku suddenly felt his neck lift painfully for an instant, as though a telekinetic grip had seized the back of his head. His immediate, horrified thought he was about to kill him instead, but suddenly the pressure vanished as the strap holding his pouch of senzu lifted over his head and floated towards Turles' extended hands.

"Aha ha... I'll be taking these interesting little seeds as payment for your pitiful lives." The victorious Saiyan smirked.

"N-no...! You can't take those!" Goku blurted out in horror.

"As if you have a choice. If I let you keep these, you'll give me no end of trouble. Besides... I'm a pirate, do you really think I'd pass up such an exotic find?" he mused aloud with a chuckle, examining one of the beans he'd pulled out. "Hm, what's this? One, two... is that all that's in here? Oh well, a deal is a deal, two beans for two lives will have to do... So I just need to eat one, correct?"

"D-damn it..." the younger Saiyan moaned to himself. "This isn't good. I can't believe I let the senzu fall into the hands of someone like that..."

Turles callously popped the small green bean into his mouth and ground it between his teeth. The instant after swallowing his eyes widened, as the effects took hold, every cut and bruise on his body healing, and his broken nose already straightened back out with no sign that anything had ever been out of place, and the healing energy that rushed through his entire body strengthened his muscles, relieving fatigue, restored his energy in full and even satiated his massive Saiyan hunger. After a moment of simply feeling out the changes in his body, the Saiyan marauder smiled savagely, clenching his fists as his aura literally spilled out of him again.

"So these are 'Senzu'... Incredible! Not only does it replenish energy, but it healed my wounds! Now THIS is a rare find, perhaps even as unique as the Tree of Might. And here I mistook it for something as worthless as a Saibaman seed... Makes me regret wasting one on a broken nose, eh..." Turles smirked appreciatively. "I'm sure I can produce more with this last seed, though, just like cultivating a new crop of Saibamen from a single harvest... If I can make the Tree of might grow, a few beansprouts shouldn't be too hard. Hahaha...!"

Turles's attention was drawn away again as a rumbling under the ground signaled the arrival of an enormous root that tore its way through loose rocks and boulders, uprooting other trees as it shot out its tendrils.

"Ah, speak of the devil... So a branch has already made its way this far through the planet's crust. Good..." Turles turned, squinting into the distance, as a broad smile akin to savage glee spread across his face.

"The Tree of Might! The harvest has come at last!" He cackled once more, and flew off in the direction of his ship, ignoring the incapacitated Saiyans entirely.

"Th-the tree? Where?!" Goku gasped, looking around. "I can't see anything..."

Raditz glanced in the direction of their attacker, who despite his first disoriented thoughts, was not about to finish them off once and for all, but was turning his attention towards something on the horizon.

Following him with their eyes, the two Saiyans gasped as they at last understood what they were looking at. So vast that it blocked out a large portion of the sky, so broad that it could be mistaken for the horizon itself covered in dark clouds, the tree stood imposingly over even the tallest mountains. The canopy of the tree was a dull greenish brown, almost black as the night, and he wouldn't have even noticed it if it hadn't been for the stars vanishing behind it. With something like a massive trunk extending into rope-like roots, and a cavernous hollow overshadowed by a canopy the size of a hurricane cloud that even reached as far as nearly covering the two of them, the branches were filled with miles of hanging reeds, and even now the jungle around them was shifting to allow the mighty branches and roots to push through the continent itself. It was so large it had to have been visible from space, especially since the farther it pushed, the more the wildlife and the trees other than itself withered and died, dropping husks of brown and calcified grey pieces flaking off their skeletal remains from even a light breeze.

"It's just like he said. This planet is turning into a desert bit by bit..." Goku cursed under his breath, clenching his fists weakly.

"So that's the Tree of Might..." Raditz said, sounding as if he was in awe. The older Saiyan had managed to sit up despite his wounds, and was simply staring. After a moment, he turned to look at his brother with a dazed, dreamlike expression of terror, then looked back at the sky, as if was no longer sure what he was doing.

The older Saiyan suddenly noticed a glint of green glass, and he reached down and pulled out of the ground his discarded scouter, fixing it to his ear and pushing the button experimentally.

"Hmm. Still usable... I wonder if the Prince is listening to this right now." Raditz frowned. "It might be my last battle. It would be a shame to go without anyone knowing."

The scouter beeped and a jumbled mess of calculations flashed across the screen, as it tried to calculate the strange power-levels surrounding it, seemingly coming from the tree.

"How bizarre, I can't quite detect some of the powers it's picking up... I wonder if the signal is being interfered with somehow..." Raditz frowned in concentration, his thoughts wandering despite their situation.

The two Saiyans were then left alone in the ruins of the jungle, in the silence except for the rumble under the earth and unable to do much but catch their breath look up at the starry sky, where radiant pieces of the red moon still streaked down into the atmosphere as falling stars in a brilliant fireworks display, as though celebrating total destruction of this world.

But none of that imagery could move the younger Saiyan, whose every sense remained locked onto what he could feel coming from the tree. It was like it was radiating a horrible energy, not meant for this world.

Only one thought crossed his mind, with such burning certainty that it pushed out fear in a way that made him doubt it could even have come from within him.

_We have to stop this from happening._

"Raditz, do you have any beans left? Hurry..." Goku spoke suddenly, startling Raditz. His eyes were clouded with pain and blood loss, but he was determined.

"Why don't you just use yours-" Pointing angrily towards the pouch of beans, Raditz stopped short as he realized it was missing.

"Sorry, Raditz, he already took mine... But it looks like he didn't know about yours..."

_Damn it all... Unless we had the ones he just took, the last senzu intended for Vegeta will be used up on just us..._

"There's only one bean left in here after these...Try to ration these a bit more by not being so damned reckless with your life," he grumbled, shoving the beam into the side of his mouth that still had teeth and making sure he chewed and swallowed.

After a few moments, the somewhat disturbing effect of new teeth sprouting instantly from the gum-line to replace the shattered one's fragments, followed by the characteristic slight bulge of the muscles, indicated his full recovery once again, the pain vanishing followed by the return of other sensations in his body, and then, the sudden surge of new strength as his disposal that came from returning from the brink of death...

The younger Saiyan sighed in relief, vaulting to his feet.

Raditz sighed and chewed his own, downing it quickly. A sensation of instant relief melted through his body as his arm snapped back into place, no longer limp and bleeding, and his ribs mended-

The older Saiyan looked morosely towards the severed tail on the ground in front of him, and felt the stump of his tail with his hand. Although the burns no longer hurt and hair and skin had regrown over the area, it had sealed the wound completely, so it seemed there was nowhere for the tail to grow. At that point, even a healing tank and surgery would probably not be able to restore it.

"Well... I'm in the same boat as you now, Kakarot. I suppose it can't be helped. It was no help on a planet with no moon left anyways..." the Saiyan growled, biting back his shame.

"Raditz, listen..." the younger Saiyan placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, snapping him back to the reality of the situation. "I'm sorry about your tail, but there's something I need to make clear now, while I have the chance."

"Kakarot?" he said, unsure what to make of the look of determination on his younger sibling's face.

"I can't let someone like Turles have the Senzu beans as well as the Tree of Might. Who knows how many planets he'll destroy to feed his power... But, at the same time, I can't fight if my heart isn't in it." he frowned, clenching his fist.

"Your_ heart wasn't in it_? Are you claiming you weren't just fighting seriously?! What moronic tripe is this, now-" Raditz interjected, only to be cut off by an upraised hand.

"Let me speak my mind a bit, Raditz. You fight ruthlessly, putting your life at stake and doing whatever it takes to win, no matter what kind of strategy you have to use, even holding them down and letting me strike the blow. Its a very effective style, I admit... But even so, I... I absolutely hate it. I refuse to accept it!"

"Feh... You're delusional, Kakarot! Were this battle reversed, we wouldn't be having this discussion at all! When are you going to realize that none of this is a game? Being a Saiyan, you absolutely cannot think so mercifully of anyone who crosses you..." Raditz scowled slightly, but relented when his brother wouldn't back down from his glare.

"Raditz... As bad as it sounds, I don't think what that Turles wants is so different from what I do, even if he is twisted and cruel. He must have been thinking the same thing... that it was such a shame that the contest was spoiled. That's why... I couldn't finish him off."

Raditz scowled deeply. "How absurd! At the very least, you should have just swallowed your pitiful pride and killed him back then!" he roared in his face. "If you did, then all this... Even after all this, you still hold to that ridiculous ideal of yours, Kakarot?!"

"Why not?! It doesn't prove anything to be able to hit a man while he's down! That's not strength! Fighting my opponent on his own level, and defeating him in a way that he absolutely knows who is stronger... that's the way I want it! Otherwise, it's completely pointless, don't you think?!" The younger Saiyan roared back, clenching his fist.

The older Saiyan's eyes widened, blinking in shock as his mouth dropped slightly. _Kakarot... you can't be serious,_ he thought. _Damn it, do you honestly not realize? Do you not think I wouldn't love to be able to do that, too? What you want, it's nothing short of total domination, and you don't even seem to realize it..._

"Do you think the Prince will be pleased when he hears of this insubordination?" Raditz spat. "What kind of a soldier refuses to slay his enemy, regardless of your rationalizations?"

Goku narrowed his eyes. "This talk about soldiers again? I've fought against soldiers working for evil men before. Do you think I came all this way with you just to _be _one?"

"What? How dare you!"

"You know what it is I'm getting at. Just obeying this Freeza person's every order, and waiting for the right opportunity to stab him in the back? That's your Prince's plan, right? Too bad that I can't afford to wait that long..."

The younger Saiyan's eyes burned him to his core with his stare, as though he was looking down on him even though he was smaller. The gesture of it, though different in its delivery, reminded him disturbingly of the prince, as much as it horrified his sensibilities; and that made it that much more aggravating.

"You don't know what you're talking about. How DARE you say that to me, and how dare you talk about Prince Vegeta that way..."

"If you say so. But, I'm not talking about the Prince right now, Raditz. I'm talking about you and me. You're actually afraid of facing something much bigger than you are head on, even though you say you're completely loyal to Vegeta. That's why you want me to kill Turles the easy way, not because he attacked us first, isn't it?" The younger Saiyan said simply. In contrast to his brother, he was almost completely calm, only a hint of a frown marring his face.

For Raditz, a mad gleam entered his eyes, and his face twitched rapidly into a snarl.

"You're completely insane, Kakarot! If it weren't for your thrice-damned interference, we wouldn't have lost the senzu beans, I would still have my tail, and we would be off planet hours ago. I know I said a Saiyan should not shy away from battle, but to go THIS far... I swear, if I knew you were so... so blasted, _suicidal_, I wouldn't have bothered looking for you in the first place!"

Raditz spat to the side, almost wanting to laugh at the absurdity of it... even if the idea of a contest of strength did resonate with him on some level...

The younger Saiyan fell silent for a moment after his brother's words, remembering his behavior from before, and his shame. His eyes were downcast, before he looked back up. The same dark determination was still in his eyes.

"You're wrong. I have no intention of throwing my life away today. And all this changes nothing about my decision, trust me. I _will_ help you in bringing Freeza down in any way I can. I promise you, I won't shy away from that no matter what. But I still have to be true to the way I feel, and the way I _choose_ to fight is part of that. Please, just trust me..." Goku said, his gaze level and focused. It was enough to almost convince Raditz.

_How presumptuous... Talking as if you know more than the half of our plans I chose to tell you, Kakarot... But Vegeta's plan still requires you, so I don't have a choice but to tolerate this... I'll let your insubordination slide... for now. _

Raditz sighed, suppressing his own feelings for the moment.

_I really wish I could just deck you in the face right now, Kakarot..._

"Alright, I'll bite," Raditz growled. "... But exactly how do you plan on fighting back at this juncture? He already has access to the power of the fruit, so his power level will only grow from here. We can't possibly defeat him now, surely even you can see that much, brother."

"No, we don't need to kill him to defeat him. We just have to find a way to destroy the tree first, and make sure he doesn't keep the senzu beans. If we can snatch all the fruit and the seeds he has, we can be sure he won't be able to try this again."

"That is never going to work. He would anticipate that and come after us immediately-" Raditz shook out his long hair with a growl of frustration.

"No, he wont. He relies on his eyes and that scouter completely, all we have to do is blind him, and then we can make a break for it. I know a great technique that will definitely work for that."

Raditz paused, considering. "Yes, that would work... But you're the only one whose sufficiently trained to suppress your energy far enough for it to work."

"I know its asking a lot, but if I do manage to steal a fruit in time-"

Raditz's eyes widened.

"Then you can gain its power too-"

"Exactly. And I'd be more than happy to share, if you'd like to switch out halfway. Fighting to buy time won't be easy, but you'll have the last senzu bean just in case,"

"No, I won't." Raditz interjected, giving Goku pause. "I won't use it."

"What? Even if your life is in danger?" the younger Saiyan asked, reeling back in shock as Raditz vehemently shook his head. "Why?"

"If I do that, and there's no guarantee Turles won't also use the last bean, then the Prince will never receive his gift. I already promised him that in my message, and I'd sooner die than fail him now!" the older Saiyan snarled, a light tremble coming over him as he pondered the consequences.

"The worst case scenario isn't my death, but that I fail to retrieve either the senzu or the seed of might, and Turles opposes Vegeta..."

"Wow..." Goku whispered, a worried look crossing his face briefly. "So, this Vegeta really comes first for you, huh? I'm sure he wouldn't want you to die a pointless death..."

"Hmph... I wouldn't expect _you_ to understand, what with all your nonsense about truth and mercy- I won't even dignify that by trying to explain it to you! All you need to know is that this is a matter between myself and Prince Vegeta!"

The younger Saiyan's brow at first knitted with annoyance, then softened as it broke into a befuddled, mystified grin.

"Fine, be that way if you wanna be. Now isn't the time to talk about it anyways. I'll keep my own ideas of what's honorable, and you keep yours. I'll kill him only if it comes down to it, but I'll do it my way. That's all... I want to show him up in pure combat... Not just with the Saiyan's pride, but an Earthling's honor as well, so I can return home with my head held high once this is all over..."

"An... Earthling? You dare... you utter fool... y-you..." Raditz gaped, caught off guard. _He still hasn't given up that, either?! Even after I showed him how much better life could be with us than with those pathetic Earthlings, he still... Even now, he STILL thinks of THEM more as family?!_

Raditz stared back at him at a loss for words, his scowl twitching. A low growl choked in his throat, and after a moments of wordless frustration, he finally sighed and ran his hands back through his tangled black mane.

_Remember the plan..._

"Gah, fine! Have it your way!" The older Saiyan finally conceded, feeling as though a splitting headache was coming on from just wrapping his head around this. "But tell me... Do you honestly think we can win? Are you that much of a fool?"

"I don't know if it makes me a fool, but whether I win or lose I won't be satisfied fighting any other way." the earthling-Saiyan smiled, the gleam of determination never going out of his eyes. "But you know, losing as badly as this also counts as training to the brink of death, doesn't it? We're both a lot stronger now. I can feel it."

Raditz heard the beeping of his scouter, and glanced at the number without really registering it. It was pointless now that he could sense the energy coming from his brother and compare it to his own. The air where their auras met was hot and blew sparks as though they were polarized and grinding against each other and primed for a fight; the resulting sparks ignited the dry brush around their feet as they powered up in response to each-other while simply standing, only to blow out in the sudden gust of wind that seemed to flow out of them.

Standing opposite in loose stances that mirrored each-other, one in thick and simple ragged hide clothes, the other in the plain black but fine and exposed material of an elite's leotard; One, who seemed sharp as a blade, with a chiseled face from years of hopelessness and anger, the other abandoned in the wild as a comparative weakling with no knowledge of his true origins, but radiating contentment despite his constant uphill battles.

But, through training together, the older had grown almost too accustomed to the way the younger warrior spoke and thought he nearly forgot his intention to crush that softness out.

And, the younger brother no longer seemed so small in his eyes. In every way that he was paranoid, his brother was bizarrely confident, though he couldn't fathom why.

_Kakarot... training with you has changed us both, _he mused silently as he scowled back at his brother, his opposite but equal sibling.

"Hmph..." Raditz snarled. "Fine then, Kakarot. We fight your way this time. At the very least, it will be a glorious death. Don't make me regret this!"

The two nodded and took to the air, engaging flight in synchronization, rushing towards the tree at top speed with a shattering sonic boom.

* * *

><p>Turles floated down into the hollow area of the Tree of might, looking up and around the cavernous space and finding what he was looking for, exactly where he knew it would be. Amidst a cluster if trailing vines along the ceiling of the hollow, a branch had descended, bearing a single piece of fruit, heavy and blood red unlike the dull withered half eaten example from before, this one was freshly ripened to the point its knobbly exterior was almost dripping with some glistening sap. One of the very few fruits that would grow on a planet like this one, despite the enormous size of the tree itself.<p>

"Ah, perfect. This looks delicious..."

Suddenly he was interrupted once more by the beeping of his scouter. Immediately afterwards, the sound of a massive explosion of Ki detonating just outside reached him like a roar.

"Haven't they given up yet? I would have thought they'd be running off to Vegeta by now..."

Turles' brow twitched in annoyance as he read the two power levels merging their attacks for the bombardment, the tree swaying only slightly, as though it were hit by a light breeze, and then whistled as he took note of the power behind them.

"So, they had a few senzu hidden away. How careless of me... They certainly did gain quite a bit of power from coming close to death, but now that I have the Senzu as well as the Fruit of Might, they don't stand a chance." Turles smirked, secure in the knowledge that not even a power like that could put so much as a scratch on a tree with the power of an entire planet behind it.

"42... no, 62,000 combined and rising... No, its actually around half that much each, they merely concentrated it... That is quite impressive for such trash, to surpass even Vegeta and even my level... Terrifying... Or rather, I should say that the power of the Senzu is formidable, to reliably unlock their potential power from a brush with death, with such reduced risk..." Turles hummed appreciatively, listening to the deep thrum as the blasts simply dissipated against the incredible density of the Tree of Might.

The Saiyan pirate chuckled as their power levels dropped from the exertion, and imagined their disappointment as the trunk was completely unharmed, as he had once learned. It also provided him some amusement to picture the proud Saiyan prince learning how far outstripped he'd been by a trio of low-class warriors. _Perhaps I'll pay him a visit after this, just to rub it in his snobby little nose. I have nothing to fear from Freeza's men any longer._

"Ah, before I forget, lets test that out..." Turles removed his scouter and turned it on himself, treating himself as the target. The display picked him up instantly and the internal computer began calculating his power on the readout.

Turles grinned as he bit into the fruit of might, the juices dripping down onto the screen of the now wildly reacting scouter as his power shot up so quickly it was as if a second of himself had stepped into view of the scouter.

"43,030... 57,050..." he read aloud with glee, watching the numbers go steadily up with each bite.

"I know you two have the ability to sense energy, so I hope you enjoy this just as much as I do..." he grinned, chomping down hard into the fruit as his jaw muscles unexpectedly increased in power from the previous quickly swallowed mouthful, spraying even more juices in a savage feeding display. It was only because his scouter was the latest model and specially modified that it hadn't already exploded from the amount of power it was detecting. He slurped up the dripping juice and pulled the last bit of soft inner meat until at he'd finished the whole fruit, leaving behind only the seeds.

The scouter finally beeped its finish signal as he swallowed the last bite, and the Saiyan marauder smirked in satisfaction at the power reading, far beyond the point of being astonished at his own power. He already knew what the fruit was capable of, or else he would never have bothered to seek it out... he looked forward to showing them first hand.

"This much growth... and I'm not even in Oozaru form. By the Gods..." he began laughing softly, building into a wild cackle. "No, compared to them, I am a god myself!"

A second explosion outside the tree punctuated the moment as he finished powering up, the air snap-hissing from the sudden expansion. Turles turned to look in surprise.

"What was that sound? They aren't attacking the tree again..." the pirate gasped, remembering his ship, left unattended not far beyond the tree, in a cave. "No, no they wouldn't dare attack my ship and then make a run for it...!"

Turles fumed with rage, power crackling around him as he prepared to charge out, but suddenly his scouter caught his attention, and he stopped short. "What in the... A third power level?! Where is it coming from?"

His scouter beeped again, and then rapidly a few more times, signalling the approach of yet more power levels, causing his scouter's screen to turn into a blinding cluster of numbers.

* * *

><p>Outside, the other two Saiyans stopped in mid flight as they turned back in the flight path of their second sweeping attack, which had targeted instead the further roots of the tree to weaken it rather than the hidden ship as Turles had assumed, and stared skywards at the same instant.<p>

"What the hell?" Raditz gasped, counting the approaching power levels as they began to breach the atmosphere. "More than one new power level is coming to this planet..."

"I thought you said nobody would come to this planet?" the younger Saiyan exclaimed in confusion, squinting into the distance as if to see into space.

"Who knows! Perhaps this is someone who followed after Turles... A bounty hunter, or something like that."

"Maybe you're right. Isn't that good luck for us, if that's true?" Goku said, blinking as a set of new red streaks appeared in the dark sky, travelling against the flow of red comets still streaking down from the husk of the destroyed moon.

"Hey, that must be them! They're in small ships- looks like the same type as ours!" the younger Saiyan continued, pointing out the location.

Raditz gasped, counting quickly as a horrible thought crossed his mind, accompanied by the full magnitudes of the powers he was sensing from the still distant pods.

_One, two, three, four... Wait, it can't possibly be those guys...!_


End file.
